Whitewood
by silentmuse727
Summary: Beaten, broken, a young girl loses it all in a fire, yet gains the confidence to become one of the greatest State Alchemists. Rated T for violence, Ed's potty mouth, and Ri's spazz attacks. EdXOC
1. Prologue: Rememberance

**Alrighty, wow! I'm back in action! I really hope I didn't have to say this, but I am no cow-lady, therefore I am not Arakawa-sensei. All I own is $.02, some lint, and, of course, Ericka.**

**Ericka: Glad to see I'm ranked among your important crap...**

**Me: Shut up, Ri, and enjoy, my friends! -the muse  
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**Prologue**

**The Start of it All**

The smell of smoke was not uncommon in the Celtix house so late in November. The chill always managed to worm its way into even the smallest crevasses of the attic, making the young girl, currently sitting up in bed, shivering fiercely. She knew that until her mother lit the fire in the fireplace downstairs, her room would remain cold. She yearned for the cozy warmth of her room through via the chimney shoot at the right hand wall of her room. But already she could tell this smoke was different…

Fear clawing at the girl's throat, she slowly clambered out of bed, the clumsy feet of a four year old fumbling on the warm rug. The wood floor was warm underneath her bare feet. Too warm. She shuddered involuntarily, tiny hand opening the door to her bedroom, wincing at the heat emanating from the brass door knob.

"These things aren't supposed to be hot…are they?" she whispered softly, her young mind still slow at processing what was taking place.

She slowly started down the hall, the scent of smoke intensifying. A rough cough loosed itself from her throat, and she brought her hand up to smother it. From below, a flickering glow reflected off the repeatedly whitewashed walls, throwing the entire room into sharp contrast. "Mom?" she called warily. It was really late. Surely she had doused the fire…

No answer, however, met her ears. The crackling flames seemed to intensify, magnifying in velocity, the sound reminding her of sap popping during the summer heat when she'd swim in the river with Edward and Alphonse Elric and Winry Rockbell. Her bare feet carried her unsteadily down those stairs, heart pounding uncomfortably in her throat. _Why_ _isn't Mommy answering me?_

"Mommy!" she shrieked as soon as she reached the first level. It looked like something birthed from the nightmares of children. Fire had engulfed the entire kitchen, and was making its way to the den. "Mommy! There's a fire!"

From atop the landing, the ghostly figure of a woman appeared. Her auburn hair was alight in the flames, and her blue eyes, so much like her daughter's were wide with fear. "Ericka!" she cried, running down the stairs to scoop her young daughter into her arms. "What happened?"

"I woke up and it was all smoky in my room, so I went downstairs!" Ericka cried, tears running down her round face. "I didn't do it! I swear! _I swear_!"

But she ignored her daughter's pleas. It didn't take long for her, even at the young age of four, to comprehend that we were going to die here if they didn't do something, and soon…

She struggled from her mother's grip, grabbing her tightly by the hand. It seemed stupid, a child her age grabbing her mother's gigantic hand. "We need to get outside!" she choked out, somehow managing to ignore the coying smoke in the air as it snaked down her throat. The sound of shouting pierced the air from outside. Men cried for Resembool's bucket brigade to form up. Some shouted for others to rescue the two inhabitants. Them.

Ericka cried out in pain as a burning beam fell, landing on her back, crushing her to the floor. Flames charred her skin, along with the soft muscle underneath, but she managed to roll out from underneath it before any real damage could be done. Ericka tumbled to the ground, landing in the far corner, the only part of the room _not_ engulfed in flames. Through the haze and smoke, she could hear her mother screaming from the center of the smoke-filled room, terror clear in her voice as the structural supports of the home began to crumble all around them…

Before she sunk into unconsciousness, the last thing Ericka heard was her mother's desperate cries for help.

…

"…poor dear. Losing someone so close at that age…"

"Any idea what started it?"

Ericka winced as she slowly dredged herself up from the thick veils of unconsciousness. The first thing she noticed was that she was lying on her stomach. There was a cold compress pressed tightly against her left shoulder, and she shivered at its touch.

"They don't know. Foul play is what I'm chalking this up as." She could hear the two voices now. Loud and distinct, as if they were standing right next to her. "Anne was such a lovely woman…"

"Granny!" The door was swung open with such force, Ericka winced. Her head was pounding like some sadistic monkey was taking a bat to it and using it for batting practice. She just wanted to _sleep_… "Ri! Is she alright?"

_Edward_… Ericka thought with a small smile. _Too overprotective, as always…_ "Quiet, boy!" the first voice growled out. "She needs her rest!"

_Who calls Ed 'boy' all the time? _She wondered tiredly, her brain at least four steps behind. The sight of a short woman, gray hair pulled back in a bun, pipe held in one hand, met her foggy vision. _Granny Pinako… that's who…_

"I came as soon as I could," Ericka heard someone else say. This one was feminine, too, but much younger than Granny Pinako. "I was just putting the boys to bed when I heard all the shouting. Did they find…"

"…Asphyxiation," Pinako said softly, "Ri here has second degree burns to her shoulder and back. Collarbone's fractured, too. Most likely from the fall of that support beam."

"But did they find--"

"It wasn't human!" she exploded, earning a whimper from a curious third party, who had remained silent. _Probably Al, _she thought. "Anne Celtix…she didn't look even _remotely_ human."

_Mommy didn't look human? _Ericka wondered. She wasn't going to stay silent any more. Why did they say her mother didn't look human? "Mommy…" she croaked, wincing at how weak and scratchy her voice sounded.

Gasping aloud, Pinako rushed to her bedside, black eyes magnified by her thick glasses. "Ri, are you alright?" she asked gruffly, worry snaking its way into her voice. Distantly, Ericka could hear her calling for Auntie Sara.

"Where's my…mom?" she choked out, trying to swallow. "Did…did she get out…alright?"

Edward stared at me sadly, clutching my tiny little hand in both of his. "Ri…" Pinako murmured softly. "Your mother…she didn't make it out."

Ericka didn't move. She felt as if the world had just shattered, yanking the proverbial rug from right underneath her unsuspecting feet.. The fire. Her mother's pleas for her young life… "No…" she whispered hoarsely, throat constricting in her agony. "No…no…you're lying! My mom's alright! _You're lying!_"

The woman who had entered sat on the edge of Ericka's bed, tawny colored hair loose around her face, gray eyes soft with sympathy. The child she was holding had golden hair and eyes, mirrored to that of his brother, who was still holding her hand. The woman's hand found itself to her hair, raking her fingers through it softly. "It's okay, Ericka…" she murmured softly.

"It's not okay," she whispered brokenly. "It will _never_ be okay…Mom's dead. The fire was my fault!"

Edward looked at his mother sadly, unable to comprehend the severity of the situation. His brother stared at Ericka as if she had suddenly morphed into an alien, compress slipping just enough to reveal angry red muscle, skin blackened around the edges of her burn. It would hurt. It would leave scars. But she would heal. She was strong.

For her name is Ericka Celtix.

And she is a fighter.


	2. Chapter I: City of Heretics

**Le gasp! Another upload! ****I really hope I didn't have to say this, but I am no cow-lady, therefore I am not Arakawa-sensei. All I own is $.02, some lint, and, of course, Ericka.**

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**Chapter One**

**The Three Alchemists  
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"…_To you, Children of God, who live upon this great earth, pray and believe, and you shall be saved…"_

It was as if all sounds in the town had ceased throughout the duration of the broadcast. From all four corners of the desert oasis, the sermon ebbed and flowed, overlaying all snippets of quiet conversation that rarely cropped up.

"_The Sun God Leto shines light upon you to show you the way…"_

The owner of a small stand stared doubtfully at the three in front of his humble café, arms crossed against his thin chest. "What are you, street performers?" he asked.

Spluttering, half of his drink leaving his mouth, Ed glared up at the shop owner, anger clear on his overly expressive face. "Where the hell would you get_ that_ idea?" he growled out.

"Why?" the owner asked. "Am I wrong?"

Vein writhing in my forehead, I hopped from my seat, joined by Ed a moment later. Of course this backwards pack of desert idiots would expect two kids and a walking suit of armor to be street performers. I stared down at my own attire blankly. Black jacket, blue lining, bandages wrapped tight around my right hand. Underneath I had on a formerly dark blue strapped shirt, that now had a weird patch of black at the base, curling upward. Then there were my slightly tattered (and very faded) black jeans and black combat boots. Yeah. We really did look like street performers. "Thanks for the meal," I settled for, voice low in exasperation.

Al, sensing the animosity growing between me and the stupid café owner, stood up to join us. Quite frankly, the faster we got out of here, the less papers I had to sign once we got back to Central. His head, however, struck the roof of the modest little stand, dislodging the radio broadcasting the sermon, and sending it on an inevitable meeting with the ground.

I couldn't help but wince at the crash, Ed, however, let out a sigh, but the shop owner let out a pained cry, as if the radio's destruction (which probably only cost 20,000 _sens_) had been caused by his own hand. "Hey, mister!" he shouted. "Try to be a little more careful!"

"Sorry about that, pops," Ed said with a smug smile, "we'll fix it up good as new."

"How can you 'fix' it?" the shop owner cried. "It's in a million pieces!"

"Old man," I said, arms crossed firmly against my chest, "it can be in a million pieces, torched, catalyzed in amber, and we'd _still_be able to fix it."

Ed glanced at me with an arched eyebrow. "You need to get out more."

"You need to grow up."

Before the fight could escalate from verbal to physical, Al had already sketched a transmutation circle around the totaled radio. "Here I go," he said with a sigh, crossing his hands above the circle. There was a particularly flashy burst of alchemy, a puff of steam, and the radio was fixed, continuing to play the sermon as if it hadn't moved.

"How was that?" Ed asked, smirking cockily, pointing at the radio.

"Wow, that's a surprise," the café owner said, shock on his face, "you can perform miracles, too?"

"Are you off your rocker, old man?" I asked, resisting the urge to facepalm.

"What the heck…?" Ed asked, all cockiness lost.

"We're alchemists," Al saved.

"That's the first time I've heard of something like that," a patron, who had watched the display of alchemy, said to another.

"Then you've never heard of us, Elric and Celtix," Ed and I said in unison, matching smug grins on our faces. It was sometimes scary how alike we were…

"Elric and Celtix?" the café owner repeated.

"Wait a second," the same person who commented on our alchemy said, "I have! The Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric! And the Whitewood Alchemist, Ericka Celtix!"

"So _you're_ the two rumored child prodigies!"

Eyes closed, I basked in the praise, glad to be recognized. Usually, people hear Elric, they think immediately that I'm some cutesy little girl doting on the most famed alchemist in the country. Heh, tough luck there, big guys.

"Ah, I get it! They call you 'Fullmetal' because you wear all that armor!"

At those words, I could already feel Ed seething next to me. I could feel a snigger rising, but I squashed it. "I-it's not me! It's him," I heard Al say. At once, all sound from the crowd surrounding Alphonse seemed to stop.

"If that little guy over there is the Fullmetal Alchemist…" one man ventured, "then the little girl next to him is the Whitewood Alchemist!"

"_WHO'RE YOU CALLING A PEA-SIZED RUNT?_" Ed exploded, lunging for the crowd with the intent to kill.

"_WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, CALLING ME A LITTLE GIRL?_" I shouted angrily, gripping the nearest man by his shirt collar and hauling him to his feet. Ignoring his fear, I threw him into the crowd, where I heard him crash satisfyingly against a friend of his.

"So," Ed growled out, "who's on the broadcast?"

"T-that's the H-High Priest, Father Cornello," the café owner stumbled out, recoiling in terror from the mere sight of us.

"H-he came here a few years ago and taught us about the path of God."

"He will make his followers immortal and raise the dead!"

"And proof of it are all the miracles he performs!"

"'Raise the dead' eh?" Ed echoed, arms loose at his side. "Sounds fishy to me…"

"Well, Father Cornello is having a miracle gathering by the Church of Leto now," a young woman said. "You can go and see for yourselves!"

I looked at Ed and Al, an eyebrow arched, "So, let's check out your fishy feeling," I said. Then, mockingly, I bent forward and sniffed, a disgusted look on my face. "Although…I think that fishyness is your coat. When was the last time you took a bath?"

All I got in reply was a particularly nasty death glare, and a slap upside the head. "Shut up," he said angrily, stalking toward a large, dominating spire, which could only be the church.

The courtyard outside the church was filled with people, the air alive with rose petals. I growled angrily up at Ed. "You're hogging the trunk!" True to his infuriating nature, Ed had set out traveling trunk down on the cobbled ground, and was standing on it, leaving me below the crowd.

"And?" he asked, looking down his nose at me.

"Ever here of ladies first?"

" 'Ladies first'?" A smug grin overcame his face. "Alright then. Al, you're first on the trunk!"

"Don't drag me into this!" Al protested feebly, looking down at us. "Ri, you can hop on my shoulders, if you want."

"Thank you, _Alphonse_," I said with a purposeful look at Ed, who huffed and turned his attention back to the crowd. As I braced one hand on his forearm, and the other on his chest plate, I said, offhandedly, "Maybe this'll spur me into buying my own trunk."

"That's just more stuff to carry around!" Ed snapped.

"It's bad enough that you're boxers are touching my br—"

"_Guys_!" Alp cried. I was sure that if a suit of armor could blush, poor Al would be a billion different shades of red. "Can we _please_ focus?"

I sighed, turning my attention back to the face of the church. A particularly fat, bald man was standing on the front steps leading to the doors of the church, smiling coyly, a hand raised in greeting. Out of the air, he plucked a dried rose petal. There was the usual hair-raising effect of alchemy performed too close, accompanied by an unusual flash of red light. When he spread his hands, replaced was an elaborate jeweled carving of flowers.

"So this is what they were talking about," Ed mused, all animosity between us forgotten.

"So what do you think?" I asked.

"It's pretty obvious that it's alchemy," Al said, soul-fire eyes seeming to burn just a hint brighter.

"But he's completely ignoring the Law of Equivalent Exchange," Ed pointed out.

"Not to mention the Law of Natural Providence," I piped up, feeling very left out of the conversation.

"He changed the flower into an inorganic substance, too," Alphonse said, trailing off. "Brother…do you think?"

"Yeah. I do."

All three pairs of our eyes focused onto the pudgy hand pressed against vestments. On his ring finger was a gold band, tiny red stone encased within. Instinctively, I could feel my pulse quicken, and my eyes narrow.

"That's it…" I whispered, "We've got it now…"

…

If we thought the outside of the church was gaudy, the inside was ten times worse. Mahogany pews lined each side, leaving a single wide aisle straight down the middle. The statue of a _really_ tall man with a crown and beard was within the sacristy. In front of it was a mahogany alter, covered in a clean linen cloth, four lit candles of ascending height stood on top. In front of the alter, a young woman knelt, head bowed in prayer. Even from where we stood, at the back of the church, we could hear her.

"God…please listen to my wish…" she whispered, "Please bring back--"

"So this is Leto," Ed interrupted, stepping forward with an easy grin on his face. The girl spun to face us, pink bangs waving in front of her face.

"Hello," she greeted warily standing to face us, "are you interested in Letoism?"

"Nah," I said with a dismissive wave at the statue, and the girl, "we're agnostics."

"That's not good," she said with a small smile, "to know God…is living in gratitude and hope. It's glorious." A passionate fire sprung forth within her eyes. "I'm sure if you believe, Leto will make you grow taller!"

"_What did you say?_" I screeched, my voice overvoicing Ed's. I felt Al tug at my collar, struck between grateful and irate.

"I'm sure she didn't mean it in a bad way," Al soothed. I exhaled through my nose, choosing to sit, not on the seat of the pew like Ed, but on the back, balancing my weight evenly with my feet where my butt should've been. The girl looked disapprovingly at me.

" 'Raise the dead'," Ed quoted seriously, glaring up at her, "you really believe in something so ridiculous?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation. "With all my heart."

Ed sighed, casting a glance up at me. _Do the honors? _he seemed to ask. I nodded, reaching into the inner pocket of my jacket to retrieve a moleskin journal. I undid the string, flipping open to a page marked by one of the many colored tabs poking out from the pages. Taking a moment to decipher my cramped (and coded) writing, I recited, "Water: 35 liters. Carbon: 20 kilograms. Ammonia: 4 liters. Lime: 1.5 kilograms. Phosphorus: 800 grams. Salt: 250 grams. Saltpeter: 100 grams. Sulfur: 80 grams. Fluorine: 7.5 grams. Iron: 5 grams. Silicon: 3 grams. And 15 other elements in trace quantities."

Already, without her even murmuring the "What?" on her tongue, I could tell that she didn't understand a single word that came out of my mouth. In stead, I just shut my book, holding it in my bandaged hand.

"This is the basic chemical makeup of the average adult human body," Ed said, intently studying his dangling gloved hands. "Down to the last specks of protein in your eyelashes."

"We all know this, through advances in science," I picked up, "but even when we know all of this, we still can't manage to recreate a single human."

"Do you really think prayer will solve something that science can't?"

" 'Pray and believe and your wishes shall be'!" she retorted sharply. Geez, wasn't she the devout one…

"And might we be so kind to add," I said with a conspiratorial smile.

"You can buy all those ingredients down in your local market with nothing that a child's pocket change," Ed said with a wide, sarcastic smile, arms crossed behind his head. "Humans are made on the cheap, aren't they?"

"People are not things," the girl said angrily, "that's…that's blasphemy! You're insulting the creator! You'll suffer punishment for that."

Me and Ed shared a dubious look, before letting out a bout of raucous laughter. "We alchemists are scientists after all," I said, smothering my giggles, "We don't believe in things we can't see, like God, or some 'creator'. We're constantly striving to discover the truth of the world, and why we were created in the first place."

"It's ironic that we," Ed said, staring up at the statue of Leto, "who don't even believe in God, are, in a sense, the closest thing to him."

"Are you saying that you're God's equal?" the girl asked angrily. "How _arrogant_!"

"Arrogance, eh?" Ed said with a smirk, right hand clasped over his crossed left knee. "There was once a boy who made wings of wax. He was at first elated by the fact that he could fly over the ocean like a bird. But he grew _arrogant_ and flew too close to the sun. The wax wings melted, and he came crashing into the sea."

As if we were on the same page, we leapt from our seats, bowing deeply to the girl. "Miss, do you think that your God, Leto, can save lowly, arrogant alchemists such as we?" I asked.

"Oh, of course!" the girl cried happily, clasping her hands joyously. "He always accepts reformers!"

///

"Father Cornello, there are some people here who requested an audience with you."

"Who are they?" Cornello asked, his back still to the man. He stared out over the city, beady black eyes clouded with some unreadable emotion.

"Three," he said, "two children, and a man in a suit of armor. They only gave their surnames: Elric and Celtix."

"Tell them I'm busy," Cornello grunted out. His eyebrows furrowed in thought, and he cupped his chin. "One moment…did you say 'Elric and Celtix'?"

"Yes. That's what they said."

Cornello uttered a curse, slapping his forehead angrily. "Damn, I knew the military would send their best here sooner or later," he hissed. "It's the Fullmetal and Whitewood Alchemists. Edward Elric and Ericka Celtix!"

"Do you mean the man in the armor and the little boy?" the man asked.

"Yes. That's them."

"Why are State Alchemists here now?" Sweat gathered on his face. "Did they…"

"These dogs of the military have a keen sense of smell…" Cornello mused, clasping his hands behind his back.

///

The girl, who had already introduced herself as Rose once we 'gain' interest in Letoism, lead us through the church. Simple hewn hallways were all that greeted us, all decoration lost in that first main room. "The High Priest is a very busy man," she chirped, pushing open a set of doors engraved with a stylus of the sun, "so he usually cannot find time for matters such as this…"

"You certainly are lucky," Brother Cray said, hand fingering something in his sleeve that I couldn't see

"Sorry for the trouble," Ed said with a smug grin, "we'll make it quick."

"Yes," Cray murmured, pulling something from his vestments. "Let's end this quickly."

The hair rose on the back of my neck, and I spun around, only to be stopped by the sight of an axe at my neck. I froze, watching Ed, who was glaring down the barrel of a revolver.

"Cray!" Rose cried in shock, placing her hands to her mouth. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Rose," Cray said, "these people are heathens who are out to discredit His Holiness. They are evil."

"No, that's--"

"Well, you want it over quick," I growled out, sliding underneath the axe. "So let's end this quick!" Before the guard could recoil, I gripped him by his arm, tucking forward, flinging him over my shoulder, staring at the sharp edge of the axe head. Next to me, Ed mirrored my action, twisting the other man's arm behind his back. Ahead of us, Al clenched his fist, ramming it into Cray's face. A dazed look overcame his face, the revolver flying from his hand to land at Rose's feet.

The man I had let go began to scramble away, obviously hell bent on alerting whoever the hell 'His Holiness' was. Ed picked up the axe, weighing it momentarily in his hand, before sending it flying, butt-first, at the poor man. It struck him behind the knees, back of the head, and his spine, leaving him stunned. "Strike!"

The sound of approaching footsteps drew our attention to a still shrouded area of the room. As he stepped into view, I couldn't help but let the grimace on my face deepen into an almost identical scowl to Ed's. Not another scary resemblance…

"Welcome to our holy order, Whitewood and Fullmetal," the priest greeted, nasty smirk on his face.

"Father Cornello!" Rose beamed.

"Seems a few of us were a bit hasty," Cornello said, observing the carnage with a flippant gaze. "I apologize for their rudeness."

"It doesn't seem like much of an apology when you're the one all the way up there," Ed said with an all-knowing smile. True, Cornello was standing on a balcony at least fifteen feet off the ground. Two separate staircases led up from the ground floor, meeting in the middle, where he stood. "Are you here to learn the ways of God?"

"Yeah, so school us, old man," I said, crossing my arms, "how are you keeping up with this little farce by faking your miracles with petty alchemy?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, little gi--"

"_WHO'RE YOU CALLING A LITTLE GIRL WHO'S TOO SMALL AND WEAK THAT SHE CAN'T LEARN ALCHEMY OR HOLD HER OWN IN A FIGHT?_" I screeched, feeing Al pull my collar, keeping me more or less on the ground. _"LEMME GO, AL! LEMME GO KILL THAT SEXIST BASTARD!"_

"—I can't have you putting my miracles and your arcane alchemy on the same level," that bastard continued, as if I hadn't said anything at all. He folded his hands horizontally. Red lightning lashed out, and, raising one hand, a smaller statue of Leto began to appear in his hand. "See? Can your alchemy create something from nothing?"

Rose looked up at Cornello, a wide eyed look on her face. "That's precisely what I was concerned about," Ed said. He scratched at his head, "See, the problem was that you can perform transmutations while cutting corners with the laws."

"Which is why it isn't alchemy," Cornello shouted, placing the tiny statuette on the banister.

"So I was thinking," Ed interrupted, "what if you had a legendary alchemic amplifier. One that makes the impossible possible."

"What?"

"The Philosopher's Stone," I breathed out, glaring up at him, "that ring on your right hand."

"This is a gift from our God, Leto," Cornello said airily. I was beginning to get annoyed with his stuck-up speeches.

"Guess I'll just have to get my hands on your body and find out for myself," Ed said, a crazed smile on his face. Not for the first time, I began to think that the search had driven him off the deep end.

"You seem to be an incorrigible heathen," Cornello said, face serious. "Rose."

Startled at being addressed, I spun to face the once silent girl. "Y-yes?" she asked timidly.

"Pick up the revolver at your feet."

Rose stared down at the long-forgotten weapon at her feet. Already I could tell that Cornello had something nasty in mind. "Yes, sir…" she whispered, lifting the revolver into her hand.

"Now shoot the Fullmetal and Whitewood Alchemists."

I froze. Ed's eyes widened. Rose gazed up at Cornello, horror clear in her eyes. "I…I can't do that…"

"My words are the words of God," he said, unable to keep the haughty tone from his voice. "This is the will of God. Shoot them Rose."

Rose raised the gun, cradling it against her chest. It must've been tearing her apart… "What's wrong?" Cornello sneered. "Have you forgotten who saved you from that well of despair after your love died."

"It was you, Father Cornello," she whispered.

"That's right! It was _I_ who rescued you. And what did I promise you?"

"That you would bring him back!" Rose cried. She took aim at Al, who immediately waved his hands.

"I'm not the Fullmetal Alchemist!" he squeaked out.

Rose looked at Ed. "So you're the Whitewood Alchemist, then?"

"_I'm the goddamn Whitewood Alchemist!_" I screeched. "Doofus over there is Fullmetal!" I gestured violently between us. "EDWARD ELRIC, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, _ERICKA GODDAMN CELTIX, WHITEWOOD! WHITE. WOOD! ARE TWO FRIGGING WORDS TOO HARD TO REMEMBER! THEY BOTH FRIGGING START WITH THE FRIGGING LETTER 'W'!_"

"Wait!" Cornello balked, staring down at us in shock. "You're Fullmetal?" He stared at me dubiously. "And _you're _Whitewood?"

Rose lowered the revolver, now aiming at Ed, and, inevitably, me. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "but I have to do this."

"He's a conman, Rose," I said angrily, edging myself so that I was in front of Ed. He bristled, placing a hand on my right shoulder to shove me out of the way.

"No he's not!" she protested. "He's going to revive him with his miracles!"

"Then shoot," I snarled. "I'll take the bullet. Hell, I'll take the entire chamber, only to prove you wrong."

Rose began shaking, returning the pistol to its cradled position against my chest. But I still outstretched my arms, making as much of a shield as I could of myself. Ed was seething behind me, and, I knew once we were out of this, I'd have my ear chewed off for 'recklessly tossing myself in danger.'

I jumped as the weapon went off, ripping through Al's armor like it was paper. His helmet flew off, and, like a mannequin with its strings cut, he flopped to the floor. The weapon dropped lifelessly from Rose's hand, and she screamed.

"Good work Rose," Cornello sneered, "God is pleased. Now, shoot the others."

"Man, you make your followers do some terrible things," Al said, pulling himself upright while Ed retrieved his helmet.

"What?"

"W-what's happening?" Rose whispered.

"As you can see," I said, rapping on Al's chestplate with my bandaged hand, listening to the almost musical note that rang out, "we're not exactly the most normal people around."

"See?" Al offered, bending down to Rose's level, so she could clearly see the person (or lack thereof) inside the armor.

"It's empty!" Cornello gasped. "This itself is evidence to their evil! They must be eliminated!" He disappeared. Moments later, a painful sound, reminding me all too much of nails on chalkboard, gritted out. I tensed, spying glowing red eyes.

The monstrosity that crept out of the shadows made me sick. Physically sick. It had the head of a lion, faint traces of transmutation still visible on its yellow flesh. It's body was that of a lizard and lion, with feet that reminded me (strangely) of a chicken.

"Is this your first time seeing a chimera?" I heard Cornello sneer from above, and the sickening feeling left.

"So you made this thing from the Philosopher's Stone, right?" Ed asked nonchalantly, hands in his pockets. "Guess we should arm ourselves. Right, Ri?" Before his mind even began to send out the proper nerve functions to move both arms, mine were performing the same task. God, I need to start hanging out with Al more often…

Bringing our hands together with a sharp _clap_, we slowly bent to one knee, making sure that there was at least a meter distance between us. _Law of Conservation of Mass…_ sucks when you try to transmute a five story statue from a sliver of gravel, doesn't it? But what can I say? Rebounds suck.

Twin bouts of blue lightning flashed, and I slowly raised my hand, transmuted quarterstaff rising from the shallow dip it was making in the stone floor. Once it was fully created, and I was sure the atoms had settled, I held it at my waist offensively. Ed held a spear, dragon spearhead a mirror of our Teacher's.

"Without a transmutation circle?" Cornello balked again. I basked in his shock, glad to see some other emotion that that stupid ass sneer on his ugly face. "I guess that title of State Alchemist has to come with _something_!"

The chimera lashed out, and Ed slashed with his spear, intent on driving it through the beast, but it failed. The chimera extended it's claws, cutting through both spear and the material of Ed's left pant leg. He stared down at it, startled more than hurt.

"But how do you like claws that can cut through iron?"

Ed smirked. "Wrong leg, pal." He lashed out with his foot, landing a solid blow on the chimera's jaw. As it flew past, I slammed the head of my quarterstaff into his throat, making it roar in agony. "Unfortunately, this leg's steel."

The chimera turned its attention to me, and I prepared myself for it's attack. Geez, I haven't had a good fight in a long while. It felt good just to hold the quarterstaff in my hand. I knew I'd be giddy as a schoolgirl once I really got into action.

The chimera lunged, teeth snapping, claws on its remaining paw flashing at my right leg. I rolled to my side, slamming my quarterstaff against the beast's muzzle. I was jerked off my feet when it took hold of the head, jarring me against a pillar so hard, I saw stars. The claws flashed down onto a particularly large rip in my jeans that I hadn't bothered to patch up, tearing it almost completely off from the knee down. Metal shone in the dim light, but no one took much notice. Raising my bandaged arm, I rammed my elbow into it's nose. The yelp it made brought a quite psychotic smile to my face. Yes. I did love fighting.

It turned its attention back to Ed. I was shocked it hadn't attacked Al yet, so I merely held what remained of my quarterstaff, which was more of a half-staff at the moment. "If you can't use your claws, just bite them to death!" I heard Cornello bark.

"Hey!" I shouted up at him. "No comments from the peanut gallery!"

He glared at me, dividing my attention between the chimera taking a treat out of Ed's ar—

_What the hell?_

I didn't think, even as Ed kicked upward, the impact nearly snapping the chimera's neck. My hands slammed together, and struck the floor so fast, I didn't even think I was consciously aware of it. Pulling at the organic material embedded within the rock, I coaxed large white branches up, wrapping them around the still airborne chimera in less than five seconds. Certainly beats when I first tried something so big.

The snap of the chimera's neck was sickeningly loud in the room. Cornello gaped down at us, taking in our tattered appearances. "A girl with a metal arm and leg," he mused aloud, "a boy with a metal arm and leg, and an empty suit of armor." I cursed. The chimera had ripped through the leg of my pants, leaving my automail free to view from the knee down, as well as torn straight through my jacket and the bandages underneath, leaving the remains to pool around my wrist and elbow. Ed was no better. The chimera claws had ripped a hole in his left leg, and the combination of the teeth and claws had left his right arm in tatters of red and white.

"We certainly are a mess, Ed," I said with a smile, shrugging off the remains of my jacket, leaving me only in my black and blue strapped top, and (currently one-legged) jeans. The right strap had been cut, leaving it to dangle uselessly. Oh well, that'd have to be repaired later. Ed tore off his jacket, leaving him nearly bare chested, a scrap of remains of his shirt still attached on his left.

"You've done it, haven't you?" Cornello sneered, and I seriously resisted the urge to transmute him to the floor.

"Get down here, you third-rate hack!" Ed challenged, holding his automail arm up at the ready. "We'll show you that there's no comparison between us!"

"And I'll transmute you into a pretty white oak tree!" I chirped all-too happily. "But you do look more of a dogwood. They're so _pretty _and _delicate _in the spring!"

Ed just stared at me, mouth agape in horror. "You've lost it," he said, facepalming, "you've officially lost it!"

"I haven't _lost_ anything!" I protested. "I…just never had it. Sanity is a memory long _long _forgotten--"

"_Guys_!" Al shouted from the background, drawing us out of our fight.

"Rose," Cornello said, addressing Rose for the first time since she'd learned the truth. "These heathens have committed the greatest taboo an alchemist can commit. Human transmutation."

_Human transmutation…_ Those words echoed horribly in my ears. I smelled arson in the air. Flames seemed to dance in the shadows. Screwing my eyes shut, I immediately began to list the periodic table in alphabetical order.

_Actinium, Aluminum, Americium, Antimony, Argon, Arsenic, Astatine…_

"They tried to revive the dead," he continued, grinning all too bastardly. No, Ri. Don't think about it. Barium comes after Astatine, Berkelium after Barium…

"No way…" Rose whispered, almost inaudibly.

"This is the body of a sinner who's encroached on God's territory," Ed growled. "Are you prepared to deal with this?"

"Edward Elric and Ericka Celtix," Cornello sneered again, "and you call yourselves 'State Alchemists'? You make me laugh."

"Shut the hell up!" I shouted, vein writhing in my forehead. "You can't do anything without the Philosopher's Stone!"

"Please, Father," Al said, voice soft, but commanding, "give us the Stone before you get hurt."

"How ridiculous!" Cornello scoffed. "Heathen's who have dared step into God's territory!" His hand with the Philosopher's Stone on it touched the cane in his other hand. "I'll send you to God permanently!" Red light flared again, and the cane morphed into a military-issue chain gun.

The spray of bullets was deafening as it approached, drowning out the sound of Ed clapping. He'd saved us by erecting a wall from the ground. "Nah," he said once the sound had stopped. "He's pissed at us enough just to send us right back."

While Cornello was distracted by the sudden appearance of the wall, Al scooped up Rose, running towards the door to the back of us. He turned fire on the two. I cringed each time a bullet richocheted off Al's armor, imagining one piercing the metal…driving through his blood seal keeping him tethered to this earth…

"Al!" I shouted, slamming my palms against the stone wall next to the door. Blue lightning flashed, and a hole appeared into the hallway. "C'mon, Ed!" Turning to Cornello, who was gaping at us in shock, I grinned innocently, clapping my hands once more and touching them to the ground, urging the organic material from the ground. A forest of white vines branched out from the foundation under the balcony, sending it tumbling to the ground. "THAT'S FOR CALLIN' ME A LITTLE GIRL!"

By the time I'd jumped out the wall, the hallway was empty; Ed was disappearing around a bend, laughing like a madman. "God help whoever called him short," I sighed, dashing after them.

By the time I'd caught up them, Al had put Rose down. "…transmute the bell into a megaphone," Ed was saying. "Ri'll come with me, and we'll trick him into saying what he really thinks of his worshippers."

"Thanks for filling me in," I said sarcastically.

"It wasn't my fault you were taking forever!" Ed shouted.

"I collapsed the balcony to keep that priest from following!"

"Why do you need to be so excessive?"

"_BROTHER, RI!_" Al shouted, once again (bless him) bringing us back to the present. "We should hurry up."

…

"So," I finally asked. "How long do you think it'll take Cornello to search his office?"

Ed glanced up at me from his position on the desk, and he shrugged. "Dunno," he said. "Hopefully long enough for Al to get that megaphone working."

I nodded, falling silent on instinct. "…Do you think we actually have it this time?"

"I hope so."

"It's been three years."

"…That long already?"

I glared down at my automail, waggling the fingers on my right hand, as if on instinct. "I don't want Al stuck in that body," I finally confessed softly, letting my head flop back to hit the wood of the desk. "He can't eat…can't sleep…" I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "I don't know what I'm saying. You probably know all that already…"

"We're siblings by blood, Ri," he murmured from somewhere above me, "I'm glad your worrying for him, really. But leave the big-sibling worrying thing to me." His tone turned cocky. "You're younger than all of us!"

I felt my cheeks flush at that comment. "At least I'm taller than you when _you_ were thirteen!"

"_That was a dirty blow, Ri!_"

Without Al there to mediate us, I leapt up angrily, knocking him flat on the desk. I wrapped my hands around his neck, and he wrapped his around mine. "I…am going…to kill you…Elric!" I choked out.

"Not if…I kill you…first!"

I heard a soft cough from behind us, and we both turned, savagely locking our gaze onto Cornello. He was smirking at us. "I hope I'm not _interrupting anything_," he said snidely.

It didn't click with me immediately, but Ed's face lit up like a tomato. "_YOU SICK PERVERT!_" he howled, flipping me gracelessly to the floor. "_HOW THE HELL COULD YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT? SHE'S GODDAMN THIRTEEN!_"

"No matter, you brats," he snarled at us, "You'd better be prepared!"

"Old man," Ed said cockily, sitting up and almost kicking me in the head. "Let's have a heart-to-heart talk."

Grumbling death threats at my elder brother under my breath, I hoisted myself onto the desk, sitting crosslegged Indian style next to Ed. "We just wanna know the secret behind the Stone." He smirked. "Or should we call for the army to mobilize? To inspect the Stone, I mean."

Cornello struggled with the thought, scrunching up his face so comically, I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep myself from bursting out laughing at the stupid sight. He finally settled down, shutting the door behind him. "Fine," he said as diplomatically as he could.

"What do you wanna do with the Philosopher's Stone?" I asked, allowing another too-innocent grin onto my face. "You don't need your pitiful order if you have the Stone, do you?"

"My order will produce followers who will joyfully give up their lives for me!" Cornello boasted, a grin on his face. "They will be an undefeatable army who does not even fear death! Just watch…" by now, I had lost interest, holding onto my crossed ankles, trying to find anything to focus on besides Father Nutcase. "…In a few years, I will be stripping this country away by using the Philosopher's Stone, and my stupid followers! But I guess I can share some of the leftovers with you two." He began laughing.

Me and Ed shared a furtive glance, and burst into laughing as well. That stopped Cornello in his tracks, and he took a threatening step forward. "What's so funny?"

"_This _is why I called you a third-rate hack," Ed said with a smile. To clarify, he held up a small switchbox, which was currently flipped into the 'ON' position. Cornello stared blankly at the switchbox, then at the wires leading from it, which he followed to the microphone at his feet.

"Y…YOU LITTLE_ BRATS!_" He howled, his voice echoing all around Lior, courtesy of the megaphone Al had undoubtedly set up by now at the top of the belfry. "When did you flip that switch?"

"Oh, just before you came in," I said merrily.

"What have you done?" He reached up to transmute his cane oncemore, but I was already on my feet. They didn't call me Jackrabbit in Resembool for nothing.

"Too slow!" I taunted, using my freshly transmuted automail arm to slice through the chain gun while the atoms were still settling into their new form. "We're on different levels, old man."

"I'll just transmute again and again!" he shouted, reaching up to transmute the remaining half of his weapon. I leapt back, vaulting backward off my hands to land in a crouch by Ed. The red light surrounding the still-in progress transmutation was fluxuating angrily, reminding me all too well of That Night. The light was blinding, and Ed jumped in front of me protectively.

When the light faded, I could hear Cornello and Ed's collective gasp of surprise. "A rebound!" he breathed out, and I struggled to see what he was seeing.

Immediately, I wish I hadn't.

Unlike Ed, who had seen only his now machinelike arm, I caught him in the midst of another transmutation. This time, he was transmuting _himself. _He grew out of proportion, body hulking like some sort of monster. His eyes glowed dark red, like the Philosopher's Stone. Ed shoved me behind him again.

"Let's go!" he shouted, grabbing me by the wrist with his automail, dragging me from the room, Cornello behind us.

We ran, eventually threading our way into the main church hall, the same alter and statue of Leto as before. Cornello swung at Ed, but I dashed forward, sliding like I did when we were kids playing baseball, and sweeping Ed's feet right from underneath him. He flew to the side, tumbling into a pew, leaving me trapped beneath Cornello's fist. Rubble dug into my stomach, leaving me gasping for breath.

I could see his other fist lash out, leaving Ed only enough time to block the blow with his automail. "My words are God's words," he snarled at us, grinding his fist further into my back. I hissed as I heard something snap. Well, that's not good. "My fist is the fist of God!"

" 'God's fist'?" Ed sneered, vaulting backwards and out of harms way. I exhaled, and immediately, Cornello ground his fist in further. I couldn't breathe. My ribcage couldn't expand for that. Oh, this was _bad_.

I saw a brief flash of light, and, just like that, the pressure off my back was gone. I inhaled sharply, rolling onto my back to inspect for damage. There was blood on my shirt, but it'd have to be taken care of later.

Ed ran passed me, giving me a look that clearly meant 'I'm going to _kill_ you later.' Even though I wanted to jump up and follow him so badly, I knew it was wiser to just stay put.

…

I didn't know how long had passed. I only heard Ed screaming like the devil himself was after him, and Cornello begging for his life. I snorted. What a baby…

All of a sudden, Ed's fist was bunched in my shirt, and I found myself hoisted into the air. Pain shot through my chest, and it was all I could do not to beg for him to put me down.

"_I'm going to kill you!_" he screeched, shaking me violently back and forth. "_What the hell possessed you to go after him? I could've handled him fine, but NOOOOOOO, you had to get yourself pinned underneath that bastard's fist! You could've DIED!_"

"…Good to know you care," I wheezed out, "put me down…can't breathe…"

His face softened, and he placed me back on my feet, putting my right arm around his neck and his left around my waist. "The Stone was a fake," he said before I could even ask him about it.

We both fell into a depressed silence as Ed led me outside, where Al was waiting. Alone. Rose must've gone somewhere once she found out Cornello was a fake.

"Ri!" he gasped, checking for injuries, much to my protests. "Is anything broken?"

"Ow, _ow, OW!_" I whined, shoving away from the armor's prying leather hands. "OW! Watch it, Al! I'm fine."

"Fine my ass!" Ed growled, slapping me upside the head. "You deserve any broken bones for being STUPID!"

"Oh!" Al piped up. "What about the Philosopher's Stone?"

A gloomy silence fell over me and Ed again.

"…It was another fake," he said, sounding depressed. "I see…"

Ed softly pounded his flesh hand against Al's chest plate. "And to think I actually thought we'd get your body back this time…"

"Give me the Philosopher's Stone!"

Rose's desperate shout drew all of our attention to her. She was standing with her back to the church, the revolver from our previous fight held shakily in her hands.

"Rose…" Al said softly.

"Didn't I just say it was a fake?" Ed asked. "And, in any case, it broke on its own."

"That's a lie!" Rose accused. "You're just planning on keeping it for yourselves, just so you can fix your bodies, and bring back your _mother_!"

"_Shut up!_" I shouted, balling my fists, unaware by that one word, I was reduced to tears. "You can't bring back the dead, Rose…Not _ever_. _EVER!_"

Rose collapsed to her knees. "But…" she whispered. "He said that he'd be able to bring him back…He said that if I prayed…it would come true." She looked up at us, tears falling. "What am I supposed to do now?"

Ed strode ahead of us, only just remembering to help me along, even though I knew I didn't need it.

"Tell me!" Rose pleaded again.

Ed stopped, eyes focused on the ground, "Decide that for yourself," he bit out, before dragging me along once more. "Get up and take a step. Walk forward. At least you have two legs to carry you."

* * *

**If you haven't noticed yet, I'm not sticking to the anime. I'm following a combination of Brotherhood, and the manga, so I guess you can say I'm using the anime as well...Geez, I'm confusing myself here!**

**Okay, to clear something up for the future...**

**... means breaks that follows Ri's point of view!**

**/// means breaks that switches to normal point of view!**

**Now, I hope you all give me lovely reviews for this! **

**~Owari  
**


	3. Chapter II: The Day It Began

**Yay! Another update! I'm shocked I was even able to type with a migraine (which is probably why half of the short stories I wrote are crack), but here it is! ****I really hope I didn't have to say this, but I am no cow-lady, therefore I am not Arakawa-sensei. All I own is $.02, some lint, and, of course, Ericka.**

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* * *

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**Chapter Two**

**The Day It Began**

The train chugged along mercilessly, bringing us farther and farther away from Lior. I stared blankly out the window, rubbing absently at the irritating bandages poking out from underneath my shirt. I had changed as soon as we had gotten in the train car, transmuting spare cloth I kept in our traveling trunk as a replacement leg for my pants.

"Where do you think our next leads will come from?" Alphonse asked, drawing our attention back to the suit of armor across from us.

"Who knows?" Ed asked with an absent shrug, touching two fingers to his brow. "Maybe from the Colonel, or from the taverns we stop in for the night…"

"And when we find it…" I couldn't help the smirk that sprung to my face. In a heartbeat, I was back in Resembool, visualizing myself in my mind's eye sitting in a wheelchair next to Ed. I was dressed in a simple black long sleeved shirt and green pants. My hair was bound back in a clip, significantly longer than it had been three months before.

"A heavenly stone that destroyed the city of Xerxes overnight," Ed had said, staring at a rough map of an ancient city, alchemic runes and tables surrounding it on the following page. "The great elixir said to be sealed away by the sage from the west. There are many names for it, but, in basis, it can reinforce alchemy." Ed stared at me and Al respectively. "_That_ is the Philosopher's Stone. With that, maybe we can get your bodies back…"

It was clear that Ed wasn't thinking for himself…_again_. "Don't forget your arm and leg," I said, trying to be jovial about it. "I can live with just an arm and a leg."

Ed smiled, as if he were remembering the same memory. My God! Why the _hell_ did we have to be so damn alike? I trailed off in thought, feeling almost instinctively for the burn scars at my left shoulder.

…

_Ten years earlier…_

_Edward Elric: Six Years Old _

_Old Alphonse Elric: Five Years Old _

_Ericka Celtix: Four Years Old_

The room was light. Airy even. A bed was set up by the wide bay window, a couch set into it where I could read or take a nap. There was a bookshelf, desk, and a comfortable rug spread across the floor. But this wasn't mine.

There were no tears left. It was as if the fire had dried them all up, leaving me an emotionless husk of a former self. I sighed softly, sitting on the quilted bed, twiddling my thumbs. I was wearing one of Winry's old jumpers, a white short sleeved shirt underneath. It might've been red. It might've been just a little too big. But at least it hid my back from view. That's all I cared about.

There was a soft knock at the door. I looked up in surprise, staring at Ed and Al in shock. Ed stood with an old leather bound book under his arm, a stern look in his gold eyes. Al lagged behind, as if he were afraid to come into the room. I felt uncomfortable. They were both older than me by a year and two respectively, so I took it as a natural reaction.

"Are you alright?" Ed finally asked, striding into the room without invitation. He sat down on the colorful rug, book lying in his lap unopened.

"I'm fine," I mumbled, twiddling my thumbs in my lap again. I refused to look at him.

"…Do you want to try some alchemy?" he offered, holding the book out to me. It was old, written in an extinct language, but its apparent weight was an almost familiar comfort to me. I smiled softly, reaching a small hand out to retrieve it.

_Ed was six, Al was five, and I was four. A child in their eyes. But, for those few months after the fire, where I could only feel grief and doubt, I could feel happiness burning somewhere deep inside of me…_

…

_Edward Elric: Nine Years Old _

_Alphonse Elric: Eight Years Old _

_Ericka Celtix: Seven Years Old_

The school bell tolled for what would be the last time for the long summer months. I grinned widely, stretching my arms high above my head, like one of the cat's Al tried futilely to bring home to Mom. I don't know when I started referring to Trisha Elric as 'Mom', but it was so natural, three years after the fire, that I didn't even second guess myself over it.

"So what are we gonna do over the summer, guys?" I asked, leaping up on the rock wall of the bridge crossing the river. Ed looked at me from the other wall.

"Well, you'll probably get pissed at some boy," Ed said, counting off on his fingers, "said boy will challenge you to a race. As per usual, you will beat him like the half hare-half human you are, and proceed to rub it in his face."

"Are you accusing me of being a chimera?" I asked, crossing my arms with a small smirk.

"What if I am?" Ed retorted with a grin. From behind us, I could hear that Al and Winry were groaning, expecting the answer I was going to give.

"I'll race you home," I said with a wide grin, passing by backpack down to Winry. "And if I win, you have no choice but to admit that girls are better than boys." I grinned deviously. "Aaaaand, I get the last piece of apple pie."

Ed blanched, "T-that's not fair!" he whined. "You're a chimera girl!"

"Well," we heard from behind us. I spun, anger flaring at the sight of the sandy haired boy and his usual gang. Winry immediately bristled. "If you won't race a little _girl_, Elric, I will."

"John," I snarled, leaping down to glare up at the boy. "You know as well as me that you can't keep pace with a snail."

"Prove me wrong, Celtix," he smirked, shoving me to the ground. Ed immediately leapt to help me up, but I pushed him away, climbing to my feet myself.

Glaring at him, we retreated to the beginning of the bridge, where we stood, toes edging toward the beginning stone of the causeway. Winry stood, hand raised in the air, ready to give the starting signal. Ed and Al stood by, grinning widely, knowing that I was sure to win and prove John wrong.

The hand descended.

I felt a shove from behind, overbalancing me, and I tumbled to the ground. John laughed nastily, pulling ahead before I could even get to my feet. "_Run!_" Ed screeched from the sidelines. "Get up and prove that idiot _wrong_, you hare!"

Leaping to my feet, I dashed off, my boots echoing hollowly against the rough stone. Even though John had the head start, I was quickly closing the distance. I let a smirk come to my face. He's gonna lose. He's gonna lose. He's gonna—

The Elric house was in the distance, and I was now keeping easy pace with John. But compared to me, his face was red, his forehead sweaty, and he was breathing like a steam engine. I grinned again, putting in my final burst of speed. He couldn't help but slow as I pulled easily ahead, leaving him doubled over while I jogged triumphantly into the garden.

"Ri!" Ed called, breathing heavily through his mouth. "That…that was _amazing_!"

I blushed sheepishly, staring back at Mom, who stood in the doorway, a soft smile on her face. Calmly, I turned back to Ed, and, with a wide grin, I said, "I guess I'm getting that last piece of pie."

…

_Edward Elric: Ten Years Old_

_ Alphonse Elric: Nine Years Old _

_Ericka Celtix: Eight Years Old_

_The years began to blur together in one endless expanse. I was finally beginning to feel like I belonged again, not just some dormer in a stranger's house. I loved the Elrics dearly, like they were my own blood. _

_But even I knew that someone as cursed as me wasn't destined to be happy forever…_

I laughed merrily as I jogged backwards, watching Ed and Al struggle up the hill, clutching baskets of food from the market. I myself was carrying a wicker basket filled to the brim with fresh apples. Mom had been teaching me how to bake apple pies by myself, even though I was only eight. But I felt like the boss of the kitchen whenever I held a rolling pin, fully prepared to take Ed or Al's heads off if they dared get too close to the cinnamon coated apple slices.

"You guys are so _slow_!" I shouted down at them, unable to keep my giggles under wraps. Ed bent over somewhere towards the middle of the hill, pressing his hands against his knees, tucking his own basket against his hip.

"That's because…" he huffed, "you're…a dang…_rabbit!_"

"Then let me flick my fluffy white towel, and I'll just be gone!" I smirked down at Al, who was struggling just slightly ahead of Ed, and bounded off. Unlike most girls in Resembool, who wore either brightly colored sundresses or jumpers, I wore a red short sleeved shirt with a black shirt underneath, the sleeves rolled up to my elbows, black shorts, and boots. Maybe it came from the fact that I wore most of Ed's hand-me-downs.

Or maybe it was because I despised anything girly.

Taking pity on my brothers, I sat down in the roots of a tree, basket in my lap. I plucked a juicy green apple from it and took a big bite, munching on it contentedly as I waited for them. Five minutes passed, then ten. Ed was the first to appear over the lip of the hill as a train chugged by. As custom, I waved to the visitors, or returning villagers.

Al trudged after his brother, red in the face. I smiled softly, tossing an apple to each of them. "You earned it," I said with a smile, before eyeing Ed's skinned knee. "You fell?"

Ed looked down at the clotting wound, before smiling softly. "Guess I did," he said, munching on the apple, making a face. "Yuck. I hate tart apples."

"You like my pie though," I said, a whine in my voice as I stood. "C'mon. Let's get Mom to clean that up. It's got mud in it."

Ed nodded, turning around to call back to Al, who was only just struggling over the hill. "Al! Let's get this stuff back so Ri can make a pie!"

"Yay! Pie!" he squealed, running as fast as he could to catch up to us. I smiled, walking in between my two brothers, trodding up the familiar path to the home that had been mine for the past four years.

"Hi Mom! We go-"

_In the summer of that year, plague swept through the country, taking countless lives, plus our mother…_

I didn't know how long we sat beside the fresh grave. I didn't care. Without her, life seemed to lose its color.

"I'm hungry…" Al murmured from beside me. I didn't pay attention to him. I merely stared at the fresh white flowers I'd transmuted from scratch. Just for her… "It's cold, too…Can we go home?" When neither of us replied, Al murmured, "Maybe, if Dad comes-"

"Don't ever talk about him!" Ed shouted, making me flinch. "He's not our dad! He didn't even show his face at Mom's funeral…"

I sighed softly. I'd only known their father for a year, before he walked out one morning, never to return. I'd dream about him often, his fading back a memory of my own father, who disappeared six months before the fire…

I had no reason to hate Hoenheim Elric.

I had every reason in the world to despise the man who fathered me.

I was glaring so intently at the marker, that I barely heard Ed's next words. "I wonder…" he said softly, "if we can bring Mom back."

"But one of the books says human transmutation isn't allowed!" Al exclaimed.

"So we'll just keep it between us, right?" Ed asked, standing up.

"You guys are here again?" Winry asked. We turned, staring at her blankly. "Grandma says that if you cry for someone who died, they cry for you, too."

"We're not crying," I whispered softly. "You're the one who always cries, because your parents are always gone!"

"I-I never cry!" Winry shouted, blushing angrily.

"Oh, really?" Ed asked with a smirk, "I'm sorry I ever worried about you then!"

"I'm going to tell Grandma not to give you guys any dinner because you were mean to me!" Winry cried, running away from the cemetery.

"H-hey!" Ed shouted, running after her. "What the heck is that for! Wait up!"

"Wait for me!" Al cried, leaving me alone in front of Mom's grave. I didn't worry about needing to catch up. I'd just take the shortcut across the river. That left me with a minute with her.

"I'm sorry you died too," I whispered, touching the stone fondly. "Maybe if I wasn't such bad luck, you'd still be alive…" I sighed, casting my eyes to the setting sun.

"Maybe life would have been better…if I died in the fire four years ago…"

…

_Edward Elric: Eleven Years Old _

_Alphonse Elric: Ten Years Old _

_Ericka Celtix: Nine Years Old_

Another year passed. Ed, Al, Winry, and me were walking home from school. What possessed me that day, I didn't know, but I was wearing an old jumper of mine. It was probably because Granny Pinako hated to see me wearing boy's clothes.

"You guys were reading in class today," Winry complained to us. "You need to pay attention in school, too." She turned to me, "Especially you, Ri. Do you want to be bumped down to the lower grade?"

"I'm not gonna be bumped down," I said, undoing the straps to my jumper. Winry gasped as I stepped easily out of it, leaving me in the black shirt I wore underneath, and the white shorts I had snuck on under my jumper. I stuffed it into my backpack.

"Granny's gonna be mad at you!" Winry said.

"I don't care."

Winry fumed silently, before turning to Al. "So what books were you guys reading?"

"It's a secret!" he said conspiratorially.

"Which means it's none of your damn business, Winry," Ed said with an absent scratch of his head.

"No fair!" Winry whined. "You guys always keep secrets!"

For the past year, we had been studying as much as we could on human transmutation. We didn't care that it was forbidden. We just wanted to see Mom's smile again. I jogged to catch up to Ed and Al as we went our separate ways. From behind us, I could hear Winry shout, "We're having stew tonight!"

"Stew!" Al cheered. Me and Ed just waved our hands in goodbye, although I was secretly dreading the meal. Granny Pinako always managed to worm some sort of meat into it. I hated meat. It had a face, once. I shuddered just thinking about it.

Later that night, we sat in Ed and Al's dad's study, buried in books. "Whoever invented stew was a genius!" Ed said happily. "It has milk in it, but it still tastes good!"

"As long as there's no meat in it, I'm perfectly fine with that," I said, flipping a page in my book.

"The fact they thought of putting milk in vegetable stew is amazing. It's important for scientists to drastically change their thinking sometimes."

"I wonder…" Al mused.

"Yeah!" Ed agreed. "Human transmutation probably needs some drastic thinking like that!"

_From then on, we focused solely on human transmutation. Ed hated the fact that I wanted to include myself in something like this, but I didn't care. She was as much my mother as she was theirs. We found ourselves a teacher, and improved our abilities far beyond what we could have learned in books._

_Compiled with what we could find, and what we managed to learn from our teacher…_

"…There," Ed whispered softly, looking up from his signed name at the bottom of the paper. "It's finished."

He turned to me. "Ri, tonight's the night."

I couldn't agree more. Two years without Mom was just like the fire. My nightmares were worse than ever. There wasn't a night I didn't spend where I wasn't with Ed, too terrified of sleep to spend the long nights alone.

From outside, we could hear crows cawing ominously. I shivered as I gathered the ingredients we would need, the compounds of the human body long memorized.

"Water: 35 liters. Carbon: 20 kilograms. Ammonia: 4 liters. Lime: 1.5 kilograms. Phosphorus: 800 grams. Salt: 250 grams. Saltpeter: 100 grams. Sulfur: 80 grams. Fluorine: 7.5 grams. Iron: 5 grams. Silicon: 3 grams. And 15 other elements in trace quantities."

I heard the repetition of the formula as I poured them into the basin. "Let's write down the construction formula," Ed said to Al, leaving me to clean up me messy beakers.

I left them to their work, busying myself by rearranging the phials, cleaning up the remains of whatever compounds we'd spilled. "Ri," Ed called, waving for me to come over. I nodded, walking over to them. He grabbed my right hand, making a tiny cut across my finger.

"What the hell was that for?" I shouted, unintentionally making the cut larger than it was supposed to be.

"It's the information for the soul," he said softly, gently taking my hand again. "You're our sister by blood now, Ri. _Nothing_ will tear us apart."

I nodded slowly in understanding, letting my blood drop down into the basin, watching it mingle with the other two drops that joined it.

We knelt down on the edge of the circle, placing our hands on the rim. "Let's do this," Ed said to us reassuringly.

"Right," Al and I echoed.

Blue light streamed from the chalked lines, bathing the whole room. I couldn't help the smile that came to my face as I watched the contents of the basin begin to shape.

It wasn't long before eerie red light loosed itself from the circle in its stead, black fog drifting around the room.

"Ed…" I murmured, nervously watching the black fog as it began to shape into black tendrils, handlike appendages at its tip. "I don't like this…"

In the center, a single wide eye opened, iris a muddy gray. I let out a terrified scream as the hands latched themselves greedily onto my arm and leg, chewing away at them atom by atom.

_No…_ I thought, _not a rebound!_

"Brother!" Al was screaming desperately as the hands dragged him into the center, breaking him down to his basic compounds.

"_Ed_!" I screamed, white light bursting in front of my eyes.

In an instant, I was standing before a huge door, floating above the ground. "Ed? Al?" I called nervously, looking for my brothers. I sighed. "Oh boy…what were we _doing_?" I asked myself, rapping my forehead with my right hand.

"Hello, little girl."

I froze, staring at the form of a person. Black fog surrounded it, defining it's humanlike silhouette.

"…Who're you?" I asked.

"I'm so glad you asked!" it said, tossing up its arms. "People like to call me 'the world'. In other words, God. In other words, the universe. In other words, 'the Truth'. In other words, All. In other words, One. And I am also…" It pointed at me. "You."

From behind me, I could hear the door begin to open. Turning, I faced down the very same eye that had appeared in the center of the circle. "Welcome," Truth whispered, "you've dared knock on the door, fool."

Black hands reached out, vying for me, just like they did for Al. I screamed in terror, running away as fast as my legs could carry. But they were too fast for _me_. Jackrabbit Ri Celtix of Resembool. The hands pulled me back, into the door.

"Hush now," Truth said, "this is what you wanted, didn't you?" I screamed again, begging for him to let me go as I pulled on the open doors, threatening to close on me. But they pulled me in further. Before the doors closed, I could hear Truth speak again. Just five words.

"I'll show you the truth."

_It was as if all the information of the world was being poured into my brain._

"Stop it!" I begged, struggling to bring my hands to my aching head. "My head's going to burst! It's too much! _It's too much!_"

The data formed a single helix, with me floating in between. I was being taken apart like any piece of transmutable material.

_It felt like my head was going to crack open like an egg. But suddenly I realized…_

Ahead of me, I could see the white silhouette of a woman, her hair long and flowing…

This_ is the truth…_

"_Mom_!" I screamed, reaching out for her. My fingertips brushed hers, and I was back in the white room I had started in.

"So how was it?" Truth asked.

I looked around, still shocked that I was whole. "That's right…" I murmured, pacing back to the door. "There were no flaws in Ed's human transmutation theory. But it was missing something!" I placed my hands against the door, which stubbornly remained shut. "If I'd just gone a little further! Show it to me again!"

"No no no," Truth said mockingly, now standing. "I can only show you that much for the toll you paid."

"Toll?" I echoed.

Even as he walked forward, a right leg began to appear on the formerly white body, joined by the beginnings of a right arm. "Yes, fool. Toll."

Fear clawing at my throat, I glanced down at my right side, the arm of my shirt now empty, my empty boot laying on the floor.

"This is equivalent exchange, Miss Alchemist," Truth sneered, staring me right in the face.

Pain laced through me like wildfire. I was laying on the cold stone floor of the study, convulsing as blood poured from what used to be my arm and leg. I screamed at the top of my lungs, begging for some sort of reprieve.

"Ri!" it was Al who stooped over me. But it wasn't Al. It was a suit of armor. "Oh no... c'mon…Brother! Ri!" He scooped me up into his arms. Ed was laying across from me, left leg and right arm missing as well.

"The truth…" I whispered in my delirium, "it was us…"

…

"Pipe down, Den!" Granny Pinako called, answering the urgent knock at the door. "You have to be _nice_ to the customers…" She opened the door, only to have a black haired man storm in, making a beeline directly for Ed.

"I just came from your house!" he snarled, pulling him up by his collar. "What did you do?"

"Put him down!" I shouted hoarsely, banging my hand on the arm of my wheel chair. "Don't touch him!"

He turned his gaze onto me. I swear I saw pity there, before rage overcame it. He put Ed down, only to tower over me. Immediately, I regretted speaking up.

"We're so sorry…" Al whispered, placing a hand on the man's arm, stopping him from picking me up, just like he did to Ed. "Please forgive us…"

Realization flashed in the man's eyes, and, moments later, we found ourselves sitting at the kitchen table. Al stood protectively behind us, Granny Pinako was at our left, and the man, who identified himself as Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang, sat at our right.

"I was shocked," he said, "when I heard there three talented alchemists, I came right here." He looked at us, although I refused to meet his gaze. "To think that three children performed human transmutation, though incomplete, and lived," He looked up at Al, "and even affixed a soul… They're more than qualified to become State Alchemists." Mustang folded his hands. "As State Alchemists, they will be required to fight whenever emergencies arise. At the same time, they will have access to libraries restricted to non-licensed alchemists." He cast another look at us. "They may even find a way to recover their bodies…"

Granny Pinako emptied her pipe in the tray in front of her. "After these children staggered in here, drenched with blood," she said, "I went to their house. That…that wasn't human!" I flinched again at the tone in her voice. "Is alchemy supposed to create something as horrible as that? Are you telling these children to look at Hell again?"

"I'm not forcing you," Mustang said levelly, "I'm merely presenting you with the possibilities. Whether you want to lie here and die in despair, or bow to the military as their dogs, seeking the possibilities that lay there. If the possibilities lay on that path, then you should move forward, and find a way to restore your natural bodies. Even if you find yourself crossing a river of mud."

Mustang stood and left. From outside, I could hear another woman. Silently, I turned to face Ed, looking up for the first time. He glanced at me, his eyes bright and dangerous, igniting a fire I hadn't seen there since That Night.

A month later, on the eve of my tenth birthday, I sat on a surgical bed, Ed and Al next to me, Winry and Granny Pinako each holding a set of tools. "How long will it take? The surgery and the rehab?" I asked, keeping my eyes closed.

"I'd say three years," Granny answered. Oh no. That wasn't going to fly with me.

"One year!" I replied fiercely.

"…You're gonna be coughing up blood," Granny said with a halfhearted smile.

"You don't have to do this, Ri," Ed said from his wheelchair, miffed that I was the one going through surgery first, and not him.

I stared down at him, "Just bear with me a little, will ya?" I asked with a small smile. "We made a promise that night, and you're keeping me until you've got your bodies back."

"Yours too!" Al protested.

I nodded slowly, preparing myself for the anesthesia, and the unbearable pain.

…

_Edward Elric: Twelve Years Old _

_Alphonse Elric: Eleven Years Old _

_Ericka Celtix: Ten Years Old_

Duck.

Right hook.

Ankle sweep.

Back roll.

Back bend.

The moves flashed in my mind, relaying throughout my body before my conscious could pick up. Dirt flew in clouds. Metal clanged against both flesh and metal as I rocketed forward, only to be brushed off like an angry fly by Al's arm. Ed replaced me immediately, and I slid forward so he didn't land on me when he was also brushed off.

I flashed out again, my hand finally finding purchase on Al's forearm, sending up yet another cloud of dust. Reflexively, I flexed my right arm, reveling in the 'feel' of the new limb. True, the itching and burning of the new limbs wasn't quite a distant memory, but it was bearable enough now that I wasn't curled up in bed, screaming for relief.

"I bet your body's all fixed up now," Al said to us.

"Just alchemy," I answered with a smile, looking over at Ed. "Since, you know…"

I sighed softly, ignoring the conversation between Ed and Al. Slowly bringing my hands together, I drew on the knowledge from the truth, touched my hand to my automail, and watched as the protective grate covering the sensitive wires grew and elongated into a sharp metal point.

"Hey! It works!" I said triumphantly, my mood only squashed by the sight of Ed hoisting his own blade. "…You copied me!" I complained.

"Did not!" he protested.

"Did too!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

"No-"

Ed was cut off by a wrench violently striking his head, knocking him to the ground. "Ed!" I gasped, intending on bending down to check on him, when another struck me in the back of my head. I let out a startled cry, falling on top of Ed with a collective groan of pain.

"Hey!" Winry shouted angrily. "Fix my automail _this instant!_"

"Who's gonna fix my head?" we moaned. Ed gently helped me up, holding me steady while I swayed back and forth.

"Ow…geez…" I muttered, nursing the growing bump. "Winry, did you have to hit me so hard? They don't have automail brains, ya know…"

"I'm going to support you two until you get your bodies back!" she shouted at us.

Behind us, I could already hear Al sniggering.

…

"It's odd that we see such a pretty young girl here for the test," the slightly balding man said in front of me. Instinctively, I gripped my automail.

"So is being a girl gonna hurt my chances?" I answered quickly, daring them to say yes. In stead, the man laughed.

"You've got some fight in you!" he said merrily, "And I'm sure that automail arm of yours is proof of that!"The corporals who were in the room insisted I removed my black and blue jacket on arrival, leaving me in my black strapped shirt with the weird patch of blue, tattered black jeans, and black boots.

"We sure did have a lot of trouble with Ishval," he said.

Confused, I looked at the corporal beside me. "Who's the old man?" I asked.

"Show some respect!" he barked softly. "That's Fuhrer President King Bradley!"

I stared sourly at the old man as he called the examination to order. "Do you need anything to draw a transmutation circle with?" one of the corporals asked.

"Nah, I'm fine," I said with a shrug, tapping the ground with my foot. Stone. And this was the ground floor. Organic material, here I come! I clapped my hands, drawing the attention of my examiners immediately. I touched them to the floor, drawing on the organic material I knew lurked below the surface.

At my goading, small white tendrils of wood wormed through the cracks, sharp at the points. I smirked softly. Time to prove a point here…

There was a collective gasp as all ten of the small slivers of wood drove forward, arrow straight, at the Fuhrer. I didn't stop because there were three guns pointed at me, or because the Fuhrer had raised his hand. Stopping the transmutation, I allowed the wood to stop in its place. I stood.

"You may wanna rethink your examination methods," I said off handedly, stepping on one of the stilled slivers, breaking it easily. "An assassin can move in fast like this."

"Two children who dared to come up against me," the Fuhrer mused, a small smile on his face, "I have to say…you have a lot of guts." He began to walk away. "But you're not exactly wizened up to the ways of the world yet, my dear."

I blinked at him confusedly, before I saw the remaining nine of my transmutation drop to the floor with a hollow clatter. "Good luck with the rest of your exams, my dear!" the Fuhrer called behind me, holding a rapier in one hand.

"When did he draw his sword?" I asked, my voice higher in pitch then I intended.

…

"This is the badge of the State Alchemist," Mustang was explaining to me and Ed. Two opened boxes lay in front of us, silver pocketwatches gleaming with the Amestris state seal, plus the six sided hexagram of the Presidential Office. "Your names are engraved on the back, so don't worry about losing it."

I let out a small sigh, looking at Ed, as if to say _Can we leave now?_ But Mustang wasn't done yet. "Your certificates are here…" He withdrew two pieces of parchment from two separate manila envelopes. "Seems our Fuhrer likes ironic titles." He slid them forward. "Congradulations. You're officially dogs of the military."

I stood first, bending down to read my own certificate. "I, Fuhrer President King Bradley, hereby appoint…" I read, "thou, Ericka Celtix, the position of State Alchemist, and bestow thee with the title 'Whitewood'." I arched my eyebrow at the title, almost at the same time as Ed, who had been reading his silently. "Whitewood?"

"Fullmetal?" Ed repeated after me.

"That's right," Mustang said with a smirk, resting his chin on his folded hands. "All State Alchemists are granted with a title. The titles you will be carrying are…Fullmetal and Whitewood. The Fullmetal and Whitewood Alchemists."

I glanced at Ed, and we both grinned a little _too_ evilly for my likes, but it just felt so _right_. "I like it," I said, "it sounds nice and creepy. Just like me."

"Because you are," Ed said with a smirk. I leapt at him, bringing him to the floor, my hands wrapped tight around his neck.

"Let me kill you now!"

"Get off of me!"

"Apologize!"

"_WHITEWOOD!"_

…

I didn't know how long I had fallen asleep, but I woke up to Al leaning across to shake my shoulder. "Brother, Ri," he whispered softly. "We're almost there."

I blinked up at Ed from my position. My head was laying in his lap, a familiar position I had grown accustomed to when we traveled, and I had gotten tired.

_There should be some clue how to get Ed and Al's bodies back, _I thought, staring up at the dark sky.

"The Philosopher's Stone," I murmured softly.


	4. Chapter III: The Anguish of an Alchemist

**Yay! Another update, and sooner than I thought! I really didn't think I'd have anything up before the twenty-fifth, but here's Chapter Three! I'm warning you know, but it's a little abridged from it's original episode because I didn't have any internet to do it (sounds stupid, but it was quite terrible ='(. ) ****I really hope I didn't have to say this, but I am no cow-lady, therefore I am not Arakawa-sensei. All I own is $.02, some lint, and, of course, Ericka.**

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Chapter Four

The Anguish of an Alchemist

_I was standing in a hallway. Predawn light was making my eyes water, or were they still blurry from sleep? All I knew was that I had to pee, no matter what the time was._

_Yawning, I dragged myself further down the empty hall, now just barely hearing the sounds of conversation. "…wake her up?"_

_It was my mom. She was standing in her nightdress, her hair loose around her shoulders. Fully dressed, the light throwing his face into sharp relief was my father. His closely cut brown hair was neat, half-rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. He was staring down at my mom, dressed like he was going on a trip, complete with travelling trunk._

"…_might cry if I see her," I could hear him say. Why would he cry if he saw me? He loves me…_

…_Right?_

_I let out a tiny yawn, rubbing at my eyes with the sleeve of my nightshirt. My mom looked down at me in surprise. "What are you doing up so early, sweetheart?" she asked, bending down to scoop me into her arms._

"_I hadda pee," I said, letting her hug me._

"_All by yourself!" She clapped briefly, making me blush. It was an unspoken rule in the house that my…um…_issue_ with potty training wasn't to ever be mentioned. _Ever.

_I glanced up at my father, blinking uncomprehendingly as he stared down at me with…Oh my God, was that disappointment? What had I done to disappoint him?_

_Without muttering another word, he turned, opening the door, blinding me. I let out a pained whine at the shocking brightness. "Momma?" I asked softly. "Where's Daddy going?"_

"…_He's leaving us for a little while," she murmured sadly. "But he'll be back. I know it."_

_But he never came back._

…

Gasping, I nearly jumped out of my skin as I opened my eyes, wiping my forehead with the corner of a blanket…

Wait a second…I wasn't using a blanket before.

Glancing up, I winced at the sharp pang in my chest as my still mending ribs protested weakly. "God, what the hell hit me?" I asked no one.

"You passed out, Ri," I heard Al whisper softly, as if he was afraid to talk too loudly. "On the platform. Brother had to use CPR on you to get you breathing."

"I stopped breathing?" I asked stupidly.

"For a minute," Al murmured.

"Oh…" I said softly. I'd all but died on a stupid platform just because of one little broken rib. I sighed again, unwrapping myself from the blankets. Someone had changed me from my usual clothes into a long sleeved black shirt and white shorts. They were oddly small, but fit fine on me. "Alright, so I guess I should thank him for saving my life, again…" I got off of the thin bed, the blanket still wrapped around my shoulders. I was in one of the barracks rooms in headquarters.

Al looked around nervously, shuffling around like how he got when we were facing down Teacher. "Um…well, Ri…" he began hesitantly, "you see here…"

"Al, don't beat around the bush with me," I warned, "or I'll transmute you to the floor."

"_Not again!_" he squeaked. "_He's with the Colonel!_"

"He's…with the Colonel," I repeated slowly, "He left me here…with you…just so he can report to the man who goes out of his way to find the _teeniest _jabs in the book…"

Al nodded hastily, trying to placate my growing anger. Yowling furiously, I clapped my hands, quickly transmuting thick stone hands from the floor to wrap around him, binding him in place. "I…am going…_to KILL HIM!_" I howled, only pausing to drape my discarded jacket over my shoulders, before I stomped from the room.

I think for the first time in my three years of being here, I was shown into Mustang's outer office without complaint. Next to me, Fuery (who had been sent to help me as the sacrificial slaughter) shook, the look on his face clearly displaying he was going to be sick with fear.

"T-they're i-i-in t-t-t-there," he stammered, pointing with a shaky finger at the oak door to his inner office. I grinned a psychotically innocent grin, raising my automail foot off the cold ground. "W-what are you going t-to do?" he asked nervously.

"Oh, just kill Ed," I offered nonchalantly. Ignoring Fuery's now sheet white face, I slammed my foot against the door, relishing in the sound of it bouncing in. "EDWARD EL-"

…Only to have the stupid door slam right into my face.

"_GODDAMMIT!_" I screamed, holding my nose. I must've kicked the stupid door too hard. From inside, I could hear Ed's shriek of terror, the sound of furniture falling, and, when my vision realigned, I could see that one of the leather couches had been flipped onto its back, with Ed crouched, shaking like Teacher herself (I shuddered at the mere _thought _of that woman) was standing here.

"Do you know you look a _lot_ like Teacher when you're angry?" he asked, laughing nervously.

I blinked slowly for a moment, as if comprehending his words, before screaming at the top of my lungs, earning a panicked yell from Ed as he made a mad dash for Mustang's opened window. I leapt over the overturned couch, taking him to the ground before he could even appear in Mustang's line of vision.

"_YOU LEFT ME IN THE ROOM __**ALONE**__!_" I screeched, pinning his wrists down while I straddled his hips, more or less keeping him pinned.

"You weren't alone!" he protested. "Al was there!"

"_I GODDAMN DIED ON THE FRIGGING PLATFORM!_"

"You only stopped breathing!"

"_DON'T BRUSH THIS OFF CASUALLY, RUNT!_"

Ed glared murderously up at me, and I felt him shift. The next thing I knew, my world was upside down, leaving my back against the floor, with Ed in the same position I was moments before. Except this time, all his weight was right on top of my still mending ribs. "E-d…" I gasped out, "Hurts…stop it…"

Noticing what he did, he moved back, only further agonizing me. "_GODDAMMIT!_" I howled at the top of my lungs, fighting against his grip, repeatedly banging any limb against the floor or couch.

"Sorry!" he said, lifting a majority of his weight off of me, so he was more crouched over me than sitting right on top of me. "Did it help that I moved?"

"Still hurts like God only knows what…" I muttered, my eyes screwed shut. "Did you have to be so rough?"

Mustang coughed, urging us to lean up, glancing over the couch at him. By the look on his face, and Ed's disheveled, flushed appearance, we weren't exactly in the best of positions. "You do know you're a little on the young side to be engaging in such activities, Whitewood," he warned.

"_WHAT THE HELL!"_ Ed shrieked, glancing up at me, then at Mustang with a rapidly reddening face, "_GODDAMMIT, MUSTANG! SHE'S ONLY THIRTEEN! WHAT THE HELL MADE YOU THINK WE WERE DOING __**THAT**__?'_

"Well," he said, smirking from behind his folded hands at us, "you _were_ making some interesting noises back there…"

"DAMMIT MUSTANG!" I screeched, shoving Ed off of me so I could stand. "STOP THINKING NASTY CRAP AND TELL ME _WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE?_"

That got everyone to shut up fast. "Well," he said, "I was just conveying my gratitude to your friend for your actions in Lior."

"It's not like it was for you or anything," Ed said as he righted the couch, sitting on the edge, and as far away from me as humanly possible.

"And was the search for the Philosopher's Stone a failure too?"

Me and Ed looked at Mustang gloomily. "The Stone was a fake," I muttered softly.

"But its power was incredible," Ed said contemplatively, cupping his chin in thought. "He transmuted a chimera, too."

"Is that even possible?" I asked.

"I'm not familiar with the field of biological alchemy, so I wouldn't know…" Ed said, before looking over at me, "but I am curious. Maybe if we look into it a little more, we can find something useful with finding our bodies back."

"Then how about seeking help from a specialist in the field?" Mustang offered, rifling around in his desk. He pulled out a file, displaying a black and white photo of a man with glasses and short hair. "The Sewing-Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker. He's known around as an innovator in bio alchemy. So I'll introduce you to him."

"_You're _going out of your way to do something for _us_?" Ed asked incredulously. Before I knew it, I was on my feet at the same time as Ed, pointing accusingly at Mustang.

"_It's a trap! There's something behind all this, I just know it!"_ we shrieked at almost the same time.

"_Don't look at me like that!_" Mustang accused right back. "_I'm just doing this to repay you for Lior!_" He smirked like he was sick. "Just thinking about that I owe you two something makes me feel disgusting."

Minutes later, me, Ed, Al, and Mustang were wedged in the back of a military issue car, staring at the Colonel as he flipped through the file that refused to leave his hand. "At the age of twenty, he successfully transmuted chimera that could speak the human language." Ed glanced at Mustang as he read from the file.

"It could actually speak the human language?" I asked, interest peaked.

"Apparently it did." Mustang looked over at us. "But it only said one thing: I want to die. Soon after, it refused to eat, and eventually it got its wish."

The military car came to a halt in front of a gated house. It was two stories, but was very plain looking. While we stupidly gaped in disbelief at the home, Mustang rang the bell.

"Who knew someone could own such a big house," Ed murmured in awe.

I froze at the sound of a muted bark. Turning slowly, horror dawning my vision was encased in a great wall of blonde fur.

I screamed as I was smothered beneath a gigantic blonde Labrador Retriever, his tail thumping rhythmically on the grassy earth. I let out a gasp as I freed my face and upper body from underneath the dog. Ed and Al laughed.

"That's a good look for you, Ri," Ed teased. I glared up murderously at him.

"Then why don't we try it out on _you_?"

"No, Alexander!" shouted a young girl. She couldn't have been more than four or five. She had bright tan hair and blue eyes, blinking curiously at the whole world.

Behind her, a man sharing his daughter's tan hair and blue eyes stood, running a hair through his hair with a sigh. "Nina, I thought I told you to keep Alexander tied up in the backyard?"

Nina Tucker looked up at her father with a sheepish smile, "Alexander looked like he could use the exercise."

Tucker looked up at Mustang, a slightly awed look on his face. "Colonel, what a pleasant surprise."

Mustang allowed a small grin as Tucker allowed us into his home.

While we were completely awed at the outside, I felt distinctly weak in the knees at the inside. It might have been slightly messy, but it was certainly a testament to the wealth of a State Alchemist. "Sorry about the mess," Tucker said apologetically, leading us over to the cluttered dining room table, "but when my wife left, things kind of got…out of hand."

"That's alright," I said with a polite smile, accepting the tea the alchemist held out to me.

Tucker smiled, sitting down across from us. He folded his hands, smiling across at me and Ed. "Once again, nice to meet you, Edward, Ericka," he greeted, "I'm the Sewing Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker."

Mustang gestured to Ed and me with a single hand, not in the mood for formal pleasantries. "They're interested in ancient bio alchemy," he said, "and that happens to be your specialty. If you could allow them to view your research notes…"

"Oh, that isn't a problem at all!" Tucker exclaimed, "after all, who wouldn't want to help the youngest State Alchemist, and the first female State Alchemist?"

I blushed slightly at the praise. True, my reputation as the first female State Alchemist tended to grant me odd acclaim, but in this case, it only served to embarrass me even further. Ed sniggered at my blush, and I elbowed him under the table sharply.

"But…" he began again, once again gaining our attention, "if you want to see what's up my sleeve, I'd prefer to see what's up yours first." His icy blue eyes stared fixedly at the plate of metal anchored to my skin through the bolt, drilled obviously into my right collarbone. "That's the principle we live by, isn't it?" I glared heatedly across the table at the Sewing Life Alchemist. Something told me I wasn't going to like him. "So, tell me why you're so interested in biological transmutations?"

"Er…you see," Mustang began, trying to divert the conversation away from its inevitable path. He was stopped, however, from a small gesture from Ed and me, the two children he was trying to protect.

"Colonel…" Ed murmured softly, sliding off his jacket, each inch of the automail becoming more and more evident as the cloth was removed. "He has a right to know…"

Eyes closed, I sat with my own jacket in hand, bandages still wrapped tight around my arm, up to my forearm. The words flowed so easily from my mouth. The fire. Trisha's death. Training. The transmutation.

Throughout the retelling, Tucker remained silent, eyes fixed on his daughter and Alexander. "So you transmuted his mother," she murmured, looking pointedly at Ed and Al. "You were nine years old…" My eyes remained unfocused, staring blankly at a point just beyond Tucker's shoulder. "It must've been a horrible experience for you to endure." He sighed, "I don't know how much it will assist you, but I'll show you my lab."

Standing, Tucker backed away from the dining room table, enamoring us to do so as well. "My lab isn't much," he said sheepishly, leading us down the long hall to a pair of doors, "but I hope it's helpful to your research."

The corridor that the doors led to was dimly lit. Cages lined the walls, containing snarling nightmares I had only laid eyes on in ancient alchemy texts. Triple-headed dogs, chickens fused with snakes, the myriad of genetically bound life was both terrifying and fascinating to me, who worshipped the very laws of alchemy.

"I know I'm supposed to be the leader in bio alchemy," Tucker said with a wry smile, drawing our attention away from the beasts, "but, in truth, it hasn't been going as well as I've hoped." He led us down the hall to yet another set of double doors. He flicked the switch, revealing a gigantic library. Shelves lined the walls in endless rows, two adjacent pairs or shelves running horizontally along the floor. We gazed in amazement at the hoarded knowledge.

"Ed, Al, I'll start over here!" I shouted, excitement barely contained within my voice. I dove eagerly into the nearest shelf, my hand selecting a particularly ancient tome. As soon as the book lay open in my palms, I remained focused on the words, and the words only.

"I'll be going back to work," I distantly heard Mustang, standing at attention next to Tucker, "I'll send someone over in the evening to pick you up." But I was already in my reading pose: legs close together, one bent back at the knee, left hand elevating the book, right hand cupping my chin in thought. Even though I couldn't see it, I could damn near feel her smirk.

"Her level of concentration is quite impressive," Tucker mused, thinking I still couldn't hear him, "she's completely blocked out whatever outside stimuli there are in the room with her. I even doubt she's aware she's standing! It seems that prodigies _do_ exist in this world…"

But was it just my imagination, or did I just hear some sort of sick, twisted smile in his voice?

/

I didn't know when I had moved from my standing position to the floor, but when I looked up to tie my hair back, I was sitting crosslegged, a different book opened in my lap. My hair tie was held in my mouth as I pulled it back, twisting it around my hand as I pinned it back in a partial bun. A small mountain of books were piled up around me, nearly obscuring my lower body from view. It was clearly a testament to the amount of books I was at least partially able to digest within the allotted time.

Sighing, I stood, unkinking my back with a weird crackling sound. "I guess I can read a lot when I put my mind to it," I muttered, putting the books I had at least partially read back on their proper shelves. "Not that I _don't_ focus on what I read…"

A worn cover caught my eye. It was wedged behind another thicker book on metallurgy (Note to self: give that book to Ed before he kills someone looking for a book on metallurgy). Standing on my toes, I reached in, withdrawing the cover with a grimace. "What the…"

The cover was incredibly worn, half the letters worn away by age. But I could still make out the basic title. "Aevumortus… what the hell is an Aevumortus?"

But before I could even open the book, I could hear Ed shouting at Al. "What are they doing now?" I asked, stretching my aching muscles again. I put the book back in its hiding place, vowing secretly to return for it. Turning to the end of the row, I felt my face flush with anger.

Al was giving a piggyback ride to Nina, while Ed stood by, fuming. "Al!" I shouted, "what are you doing?"

Ed, Al, and Nina looked up in surprise. "Well, it looked like Nina wanted to play, so…"

"Hey, you remember why we came here-" I stalled as I was entirely encased in shadow. Once again, she turned to face the inevitable wall of blonde fur. In stead of finishing my sentence, and unearthly screech loosed itself from my lungs in its place, scaring me as much as it scared Ed and Al. Alexander ran his wet tongue over my head, making my hair standing on end.

"Alexander says he wants to play, too!" Nina exclaimed.

"You sure have guts, mutt," I growled, pulling myself out from underneath the stupid animal. I clambered ominously to my feet, bangs shielding my eyes. "They say that a lion uses its full strength to hunt even a rabbit…" My head snapped forward, my eyes onto said dog. "_I, Ericka Celtix, shall be your opponent with my entire body and soul!_" I took off running, flashing out of the room before Ed and Al could even blink, in pursuit of the blonde Retriever. "Damn dog!"

…Unfortunately, seven o'clock found me (once more) pinned beneath Alexander's bulk. "Hey, Chief," Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc greeted, unable to keep the grin from his face at the sight of me, "working hard, or hardly working?"

I looked up, freeing my arms from underneath the dog. "Ah…just taking a break from all that research material," I grunted out.

"Did you find anything useful?" Tucker asked worriedly, standing nearby. When we offered no reply, he smiled, "Come back again tomorrow. I'm sure you'll find something then!"

Nina looked at Al, elation clear on her young face, "You'll come again tomorrow?"

Al nodded, a nonexistent smile on his face as he followed us from the house. We were trudging up the main walk, when the Second Lieutenant turned around, just remembering something of great importance. "Oh, Mr. Tucker!" he called back, just managing to catch him from closing the front door. "I have a message from the colonel! He says, 'Assessment Day is close, don't forget this time.'"

A shadowed look overcame the elder alchemist's face. "Yes. I'm quite aware of the date, sir," he called back. He closed the doors, leaving us to stare curiously at the locked front door.

/

The next day, as promised, we were at the Tucker estate, but only me and Ed were engrossed within our work.

"Your mom left two years ago?"

Nina nodded as she rubbed Alexander's head. "Daddy said that mommy left to go back to her parents," she said.

"I see," Al said softly, "It must be lonely, living in such a big house by yourself and your dad…"

"Nope!" Nina said happily, enveloping Alexander in a hug. "Daddy's really nice, and I have Alexander!" A sad look overcame her blue eyes. "But lately, Daddy's been in his lab a lot, so it's been really lonely…"

I glanced up at Nina, briefly feeling a sharp stab of nostalgia. How many times had I knelt at the ajar door to that bastard's lab, watching him research by the light of a kerosene lamp? I closed the book in my hands, climbing to my feet with a particularly loud yawn. "Geez, my shoulders are stiff from all that reading," I complained, stretching my arms out to bend behind my head.

"How about working out a little, Ri?" Ed suggested, not even bothering to look up at me. "That always helps with your stiff shoulders."

I paused in rotating my left arm to look down at him. "Yeah, I guess you're right," I said. I turned to Alexander, "Hey, dog!"

Alexander leapt to his feet, dislodging Nina. "You're gonna help me work out!"

"You too, Nina," Alphonse said with a happy note in his voice.

/

"You can't catch me!" I teased, proving to both Nina, Alexander (and Ed and Al once more) why the boy's in Resembool used to call me Jackrabbit Ri. Both Nina and Alexander dashed after me, trying to corner me somewhere around the large yard. Ed chased behind them, his hand transmuted into a child's pull toy, metallic teeth gnashing automatically. Finding myself nearing the wall, I swerved to the side, leaving all three to run headlong into each other. I laughed, dodging as Al made a grab for me. But my moment of fun was ruined _again _by that stupid dog leaping onto me, crushing me to the ground.

/

"Why does he keep going after State Alchemists?"

"If he's after the military, he could just attack any soldier without discrimination. State Alchemists aren't opponents one can kill easily."

Major Armstrong stood at attention at Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes' desk as he stared down at the case file in his hand. "Maybe the qualification is the reason for the murders," Armstrong offered. "Incredible wages, and vast privileges. Many would be envious of this. And they say 'Alchemists who work for the people'. Alchemists who should be researching the Truth, are turned into human weapons the moment the pocket watch is in their hand." Armstrong sighed heavily. "After Ishval, there are certainly many who hate us."

The sound of the opening door drew both Hughes and Armstrong's attention to the young woman who entered. "Yesterday at 2100 hours," she said breathlessly, "a man with a huge scar on his face was witnessed by several MPs at the Central City train station."

"The station?" Hughes exclaimed, lurching forward in his seat. "That bastard ran away?"

/

Dinner at the Tucker house was a quiet affair. Nina was curled up beside Alexander, fast asleep. Tucker sat across from me, Ed, and Al, hands folded neatly. "Our life before I became a State Alchemist was terrible," he murmured. "We were poor. My wife and I argued constantly, until she finally, ran off after she was at her wits end. I can't let us go back to that lifestyle."

"You'll do fine, Daddy," murmured Nina tiredly, "If you don't pass, me and Alexander will growl at them until they say yes…"

"Nina…" Tucker murmured kindly, "why don't you and Daddy play tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

Nina, all tiredness lost, leapt at her father, wrapping her arms tight around his neck. "Alexander! Daddy says he's gonna play with us tomorrow!"

/

It was pouring out the next day. There was no way Tucker could play with Nina and Alexander. Al knocked firmly on the front door, leaving me and Ed to stand off to the side. Already, I could tell there was something really wrong… "Mr. Tucker!" he shouted, opening the unlocked door. "Thanks for letting us come today!"

The house was empty. The lights were off. That immediately set off more alarm bells in my head. "Mr. Tucker!" I called, entering the deserted hallway.

The rooms were devoid of life. "Nina!" Ed shouted, his hands cupped over his mouth to magnify his words.

"Let's check the lab," I suggested. It was the only place we hadn't looked yet. The path memorized, Ed led us through the halls. Coming to the familiar double doors, Ed slowly pushed them open, while I unable to shake the sickening sensation churning in the pit of my stomach. Tucker was crouched inside the unlit lab, his back to us. His hand was stroking something that I couldn't see, but it made the hair on the back of my neck rise…

"Mr. Tucker?" Al cautioned softly.

"There you are, Mr. Tucker," Ed said, striding in.

"Hello," Tucker said, a sickening smile on his face, "I did it. She's perfect…" He moved out of the way, allowing the creature he was stroking so fondly to come into view.

It was doglike in appearance, with thick blonde fur and wide blue eyes. Its snout was elongated, its feet too large for its body. Its tail curled outward, as hairless as a rat. Brown fur hung in tufts from the crown of its head. "It's a chimera. It can speak the human language." He bent down once more. "Look. This person is Edward."

"…Ed…ward…?" came it's garbled speech, birthed from the rough throat of something animal, human, and something else.

"Amazing," Ed breathed out. "It really speaks…" Something screamed wrong to me. It annoyed me that Ed and Al weren't feeling it too.

"It's a good thing I made it in time," Ed said with a laugh, "now there's no way I'll lose my certification!"

The chimera turned it's elongated head to me, membranous blue eyes blinking confusedly. "…Eri…cka…?" it croaked, "Eri…cka…Big…Sis…ter…Eri…cka…"

I felt horror freeze itself onto my features. _No…_ I thought, eyes narrowed in pure rage. _I didn't let this happen to someone so…_innocent_!_

"Mr. Tucker…" I hissed softly, "when exactly did you get your State qualification?"

"Hm…" he murmured softly, "that would be two years ago."

"When did your wife run off?"

"Two years ago as well."

"May I ask one last question?" I asked softly, voice trembling with anger. "Where exactly are Nina and Alexander?"

Tucker sighed. "I hate kids like you, Ri. Too damn perceptive for your own-" I didn't give him time to finish his sentence. Launching forward faster than Ed or Al could grab me, I gripped the front of Tucker's shirt in my left hand, shoving him up against the wall.

"Ri!" Ed and Al shouted, concern in their voices, although I could hear barely concealed rage in Ed's.

"Two years ago, it was your wife!" I shouted at him, watching him struggle. "Now you've gone on and made a chimera out of your own daughter and a dog! Since animal experimentation's gone and gotten boring to you, humans must've been so much easier, weren't they?" I shoved him farther against the wall, listening to him gag. "Say something!"

"Why are you so mad?" Tucker asked me curiously, a sick smile curling on his face. "As seen in medical science, mankind has involved through countless experiments on humans. If you're truly a scientist…"

"_Don't screw around with me_!" I howled. "Do you seriously think that you can get away with this? Something like this that toys with lives?"

"Toying with lives? Whitewood Alchemist your arm and leg, your friend's arm and leg, and his little brother's body… Those are the results of toying with lives, aren't they?" he added in a whisper. "You did blame yourself, didn't you?"

"_Shut up!"_ My right fist curled up, and slammed into his jaw, knocking his glasses to the ground. I felt bone give in his face, but I didn't give a damn.

"Although you knew it was taboo, you couldn't help but experiment with human transmutation. You and I are a lot alike!" My eyes widened.

"No!" I screamed.

"We are!" Tucker laughed insanely, lurching forward so he was literally in my face. "There was a possibility there, and we tested it out!"

"_I didn't test it out!_" I cried. "I didn't!" My fist flashed out again. "I!" My fist decended again. "_Alchemists!_" Again. "_Don't!_" Again. "I…I!" There was blood on my face. Blood in my hair. All I could see is blood. This…_man_ transmuted his _daughter_…sweet, innocent little Nina…

Who was as lonely as me at her age…

"RI!" Ed shouted, wrapping his arms around my waist, jerking me away. I thrashed against him, but Al took over, holding me in a bear hug against his chest. "He'll face punishment. He'll die, but not by your hands."

"He'll receive justice, Ri," Al said gently, pulling me up further, so I wasn't even touching the floor any more.

"But there won't be justice for Nina," I whispered, turning my face from the sight of the chimera, and her bastard father. I could hear Tucker murmuring insanely, the strike of metal against metal. Ed must've kicked away his pocket watch. Good, he deserved it…

"Let's play…" I heard Nina croak up at her. I let out a wail, feeling tears stream down my face, fully against my will.

"_GODDAMMIT TUCKER!_"

…

I was sitting outside the Tucker estate, sitting crouched in Al's lap. I guess he still thought I was a major flight risk, so he even went so far as to carry me out while Mustang and his team court marshaled him.

Ed glanced at me miserably, watching the blood track down my face. I felt violently sick tom y stomach just thinking about Nina inside. Scared. Alone…

"Right, Fullmetal, Whitewood?" I must've zoned out, because Mustang was walking past us, and Ed had sunk back into his sulky crouch.

"We're just humans!" he shouted at Mustang. "Powerless humans who couldn't even save one little girl…"

I let out another anguished cry, pressing my cheek against Al's chest plate. "How," I choked out. "How could we let this happen to her?" I glared down at Mustang's departing back.

"_YOU LET THIS HAPPEN TO HER, YOU BASTARD COLONEL!_"


	5. Chapter IV: Rain of Sorrow

**Alrighty! Another upload! Let's just give a brief round of applause for my buddy Supete (sorry if I spelled your name wrong!) for being just plain awesome! ****I really hope I didn't have to say this, but I am no cow-lady, therefore I am not Arakawa-sensei. All I own is $.02, some lint, and, of course, Ericka.**

**Ericka: Just warning you now, I curse a lot in here!**

**Ed: And she beats me up a lot here, too...**

**Ericka: Because you're an ass!**

**Ed: You're insane!**

**Ericka: *Leaps on him and starts choking him* TAKE IT BACK**

**Me: On with the show!**

**Ed: DON'T LEAVE ME HERE WITH HER!**

**

* * *

****Chapter Five**

**Rain of Sorrow**

"_Mom!" I shouted, running as fast as I could towards my mom, crouching by her herb garden. She had a basket next to her, chock full of vegetables. "Mom!"_

"_Ericka!" my mom admonished when she saw me, taking in my dirty blue sundress and bare feet, placing her hands at her hips, "How many times have I told you not to run barefoot in the garden?"_

"_Mom, look what I made!" I squealed happily, unfolding my hands, revealing a delicate white stone flower._

"_It's beautiful, Ericka!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together, blue eyes twinkling merrily._

_I smiled widely. Nothing pleased me more than my mother's smile…_

"_But Ericka…"_

_I looked up, eyes widening. I wasn't in the garden anymore. I was in a burning home, the searing hot floorboards burning the soles of my feet. I was staring at something grotesque… Something…_inhuman_. Its black skin hung from its features, crisped hair draped lax against its naked frame. Its milky eyes stared down at me, and I took an involuntary step back._

"_Why did you leave me, my little one?" It outstretched its arms, skeletal fingers reaching, vying for me._

_I screamed._

…

I shot up in bed, bangs plastered to my face uncomfortably. Involuntarily, I gasped for breath, fisting the blankets beneath me so hard, it hurt my left hand. They were locked around my legs tightly. It was evident that I had been thrashing quite violently.

"Ri?" I heard Al ask from the corner of the room. He was reading a book. "Are you alright? You sounded like you were having a nightmare."

I sighed heavily, wiping the sleeve of my pajama shirt across my forehead and eyes, before drawing my automail knee closer to my face, resting my forehead on the cold metal. God, why was Nina's transmutation affecting me like this?

Wearily, I swung my legs off my bed, wincing at the metallic creak that echoed through the room. Ed was up already. I could hear him in the bathroom, cursing quietly. I didn't give a damn if I got time to clean up at all. I felt too miserable.

Not caring much for appearance, I left on the slightly baggy dark blue long sleeved shirt, the same tattered black jeans, and my scuffed boots. I left my hair down, messier than usual, without even trying to fix it.

Ed stepped out of the bathroom, freshly changed. I could see that he had a retort forming in his mind specifically for my wild appearance, but it died on his tongue. He stared sympathetically at me, gripping me gently by the wrist. "Let's go see what they're going to do to her," he murmured gently, pausing to tuck part of my unruly bangs behind my ear. The gesture shook me slightly, but I let him drag me to Central Command. In the rain.

By the time we stood in front of the Colonel's office, I was soaked, felt even more like crap, and just wanted to curl in a hole and die. But I wanted to know what happened to Nina.

Ed raised his hand to knock on the door, but before his hand even reached the wood, Hawkeye was standing there, staring at Ed, Al, then me in shock. "You're here early," she said in her usual authoritive tones. "Is there something wrong?"

I knew Ed wanted to explain for me, but it was _me_ who wanted to know what happened to Nina. "I…we wanted to know…" I began hoarsely, "…what's going to happen to Nina…and Tucker?"

Hawkeye looked startled for a minute. "Tucker was supposed to be put on trial and have his State Alchemist certification stripped…" The way she trailed off immediately made me anticipate even worse news. "…but both of them died."

I took an involuntary step back, feeling violently sick all o f a sudden. No. Nina…she couldn't be dead! I was just playing with her in her front yard goddammit!

"I'm going to go ahead and tell you now, since you're eventually going to find out," Hawkeye continued, closing the door behind her. I watched, horrified, as she walked down the hall, back the way we came. "They were murdered."

"Why?" I shouted, running to catch up with her. Hawkeye was adjusting the collar to her black trench coat by the time I caught up to her. "By who?"

"We don't know," she answered curtly. "I was about to head to the scene myself."

"I'm going with you!"

"I can't allow that."

"_And why the hell not?_" I stopped, facing Hawkeye, who was staring down at me with so much pity.

"It's best that you don't see."

She walked away. I didn't even have the strength to follow her. What happened to Nina that was so bad? Was she…

"Oh God…" I whispered, clapping my hand over my nose and mouth, trying to keep down what I had eaten from last night's meal. "_Oh God…_"

I felt hands on my back, lifting me off the floor. I had fallen? When had I fallen? I didn't remember falling… I wasn't in Al's arms though. They weren't the cold, unfeeling metal I had grown used to. They were warm…well, at least one was warm. "I'm taking you back to the room," Ed said finally, walking towards the exit to headquarters.

"I want to stay with the two of you," I muttered, feeling too much like a child for being carried.

"Out of the-"

"Going back to the barracks room means dealing with things I'm not ready to yet," I admitted shyly. "Please. I wanna stay with the two of you."

Ed sighed heavily as he continued walking, rain fully pelting the two of us. Central's streets were deserted. I almost laughed. Of course most people would be inside. Who'd be insane enough to be out in the middle of a full blow storm?

Finally, we found ourselves at a small clock tower. Ed set me down on the wet stone, then sat down next to me, Al on the other side. "I've been thinking," I muttered after a while, "about alchemy."

"What about it?" Al asked.

"I think I do," Ed said, drawing my attention to him. "Alchemy is the science of understanding the flow within matter, breaking it down, and then reconstructing it into something else. Life also follows this flow, and abides to the cycle. Death is a part of this flow, and you must learn to accept this flow."

I couldn't help but smile ruefully. "Teacher certainly beat that into us." I looked up, my bangs plastered to my face. "I thought I understood. But I didn't. That's why I was so eager to help you transmute Mom." I could see that monstrosity in my minds eye, fluids bathing the circle while it gasped for breath. "I wanted a mother." I was glad that it was raining, because I could still feel tears running down my face. "Even now, here I am…trying to fix the impossible…"

Ed grabbed me by the shoulders, shaking me roughly. "Goddammit, Ri!" he shouted. "Don't beat yourself up over this!"

I stared at him in shock. Alright, this was a change of pace. Usually, he's ready to choke me. Shaking me was as freaky as seeing Truth. But I could see Nina in my mind's eye now. "I'm an idiot…" I murmured, as if I hadn't heard him. "I haven't grown up at all since then."

"You know," Ed said, "I thought the rain would wash off this melancholy mood of yours. But I can see it's just making it worse."

"I can't even feel rain," Al murmured, "it makes me feel lonely, and it's cruel. I still want to return to my original body. I want to become human again. Even if it's impossible."

I was feeling too miserable to hear whatever Al continued to say. I had my head on Ed's shoulder, and his arm was around my shoulders, like when we were kids. But I did hear what some weird man said.

"You are Edward Elric and Ericka Celtix, the Fullmetal and Whitewood Alchemists, correct?" he asked, staring down at us from behind a pair of dark sunglasses. He had white hair, dark skin, and wore a white shirt, beige jacket, and black pants.

"Uh-huh…" I muttered, curling closer to Ed.

"_Brother, Ri!_" Al shouted. Before I could react, Ed's arms were around my waist and I was yanked backwards, just as the now officially crazy man's hand lashed down right where I had been sitting not even a moment before. Finally gathering my wits, I clapped my hands, touching them to the ground. A huge stone buttress grew from the surrounding area around the tiny clock tower.

"What the hell was that about?" Ed asked, curling himself around me protectively. There was a flash of alchemic light, and the wall exploded inward, clipping the side of my face.

I stared up at the man in horror, just noticing the X-shaped scar on his forehead. W…who the hell was this guy? I was shaking on the ground, even as Ed tried to move me. I wouldn't move, no matter how much I wanted to move. This is bad! Why can't I move! I need to get away!

"Let's go!" Ed shouted, hauling me to my feet and pulling me away, gripping me by the wrist and pulling me away. We dashed down the stairs, leading down to the ground level, stopped only by the upper balustrade collapsing in our path, the homicidal freak leaping down in its wake.

"I'm not letting you get away!" he growled up at us, the telltale blue light of alchemy curling around his right hand. The stairway collapsed underneath us. There was a terrible feeling as my stomach dropped. Then pain as Ed grabbed the back of my sweater. He was hanging upside down, Al clinging to the remaining stairway, his hand wrapped around Ed's leg.

Lighting flashed again, and the remaining stairway broke away, leaving us to free-fall to the landing below, right in front of the freak with the X-shaped scar.

I landed heavily on my left side, pain splintering up my arm. Ed landed on his knees, gripping the metal railing. "Hang on!" he shouted, giving only a minute for Al to sling me up against him. There was the hair-raising feel of alchemy performed close (a third time in less than three days), and underneath us, I could feel movement. Ed had transmuted the staircase into a long cylindrical tube, sending us diagonally away from the psycho.

Unfortunately, this is that point where Karma (in all its evilness) decides to catch up with such damned people like us, urging the homicidal psycho to use his weird-ass alchemy to sever the lower part of our getaway.

With an alarmed cry, Al let go of me, leaving me to tumble helplessly down the hill, until I managed to regain my footing, and continue running. "YOU _DROPPED_ ME-" I shrieked back at Al.

"I didn't mean to!" he wailed.

"—IN THE PATH OF SOME HOMICIDAL MANIAC WHO'S TRYING TO _KILL_ US!"

"I'm sorry!"

"I EXPECTED THAT KIND OF THING OUT OF-"

"This way!" Ed shouted, dragging me (_again_) by the arm, into some deserted alley.

"Isn't this a little cliché, Ed?" I sniggered… "Dragging the helpless little girl into an alley so the runt can-" …earning a slap upside the head.

"This isn't the time to fool-"

The same alchemic light flashed along the wall to the right of us, leaving behind dust and debris as it was deconstructed. The end of the alley, our only hope of escape, was blocked. "Ed…" I muttered, dazed, staring down at the bloody sleeve at my left. "Damn…I think I'm hurt…"

"No shit Sherlock," he muttered, before turning his attention back to the psycho. "What the hell do you want from us?"

"There are those who create, and those who destroy," he muttered.

"Looks like there's no other way…"

I knew why he trailed off. What possessed me to clap my hands, transmuting my arm into its usual blade, I didn't know. Why I was running towards said maniac, I didn't know. But my brothers were in trouble, and if getting them out meant doing something completely stupid, and earning what would definitely be a choking later…

It was worth it.

I flashed out with my arm, trying to catch him at his shoulder, but he moved at the last second, almost as fast as I would. His right arm caught mine at the wrist. "You are the Whitewood Alchemist, Ericka Celtix," he muttered, "the first female State Alchemist of the military…" Was that recognition I saw there? "You can transmute without a circle," there was the distinct sound of crunching in my wrist. "So let me take this from you…"

Light blinded me for all but a minute, but that didn't block out the pain. The feel of lightning rushing _up_ my arm, instead of _down_ it, was completely foreign. Instead of manipulating the metal, this alchemy was bent on destruction.

And destruct it did.

My arm exploded outward, carnage ending where my bicep would be. Frayed wires, broken metal, and electrical overload trailed from its remains. Before I could move to defend myself again, he casually threw me into a Dumpster, my head clashing painfully with the metal bin.

"Now, Whitewood Alchemist…prepare for-"

"_RI!_"

Al's voice broke through the hazy fog enveloping my head. I let out a pained whine. I saw lightning flash again, a combination of natural force, and the near murderer's alchemy. Pellets of metal struck my face, urging me to look up…

I let out a wail as Al collapsed onto my legs, a gaping hole in his left side. Ed shrieked, sounding almost as mad as I'd expected him to be. There were sounds that I couldn't discern from the pounding in my head. I was sick to my stomach already from the migraine pulsing behind my forehead.

"I'll give you time to pray to your god…" I heard the maniac say to Ed. He wasn't going to kill him, was he?

"No!" I screamed, trying to shove Al off of my legs. "Don't hurt him, please!"

"Your time will come as well, Whitewood Alchemist," that damn bastard said.

"Unfortunately, there isn't a god I want to pray to," Ed muttered, "but tell me…am I the only one you're after? Or are you going to kill my little brother and sister too?"

He called me his little sister…he never calls me his little sister. "RUN, YOU IDIOT!" I shrieked.

"The Whitewood Alchemist must die, but I will kill your brother only if he interferes," he said.

"Don't hurt her," Ed muttered, "take me in her place."

"RUN!" I screamed, this time joined by Al. "_FORGET ABOUT US AND GET THE HELL AWAY!_"

"One life does not equal another," he muttered, "but she will die after you, if that offers you any solace."

"Brother, run!" Al was screaming, trying to pull himself away, towards Ed, and the psychopath. C'mon Al…I goaded secretly, wiggling backwards, just a little further…

"Stop it, you bastard!" I screamed, freeing myself from underneath Al. Now that I was running towards him, I could see that the murderer was standing over Ed, his right hand descending right for his head. Everything seemed to take place in slow motion. Ed slowly looked up at me, followed by the eyes of the killer. The killer's hand changed pace, aimed straight for my head, whenever I caught up to them.

A few feet away, I hit the ground sliding, reminding me of the days we used to play baseball in Resembool. Sliding right under his hand, I wrapped my remaining arm around Ed, glaring up at him with all the hate I could muster. I hated him for some reason, but why? For the life of me, I couldn't remember what made me hate him so much…

There was a gunshot, causing me and Ed to look directly at the military barricade that had been set up while we were running. "That's far enough," I heard Mustang shout, "you've caused enough trouble, Scar."

So this guy's name was Scar, huh? "You're under arrest for the murders of no less than fifteen State Alchemists, and the attempted murders of two more."

"Alchemists are beings who alter the original form of matter," Scar said, standing. "It is a slap in the face to God, our creator. I am God's hand, His bringer of judgment. If you choose to get in the way of my divine duty, I will eliminate you as well."

"Very well then," Mustang said with a smirk. I could hear Lieutenant Hawkeye protesting because of something stupid Mustang must've done. But Scar moved from above us, leaving Ed to wrench himself from my arm, and forced me behind him, like usual.

There was the sound of Mustang snapping, no doubt the idiot was trying to perform _flame_ alchemy in the damn _rain_. Good thing Hawkeye was there to save his ass, as usual. The bullets whizzed past me and Ed, who still tried to curl around me protectively, even after I risked my own ass to save his. Typical brotherliness.

"Hawkeye, what the hell was that for?" Mustang shouted, glaring up at his first lieutenant.

"We all know you're useless on rainy days, Colonel," Hawkeye said stoically.

Havoc said something that I couldn't hear, but it was obvious that he was commenting on the whole 'sparks don't mix with rain' spiel. "It's fortunate for me that you can't make sparks, Flame Alchemist," Scar said, stepping out from behind the brick façade he had taken refuge behind. "I will destroy all who interfere with my mission!"

"_IS THAT SO?_"

I heard Ed sigh behind me, and I resisted the urge to slap myself, only on pretense that it would make my headache ten times worse.

Our savior was no other than Alex Louis Armstrong, the Strong Arm Alchemist. "You must be quick to avoid my fist," he rumbled, removing his hand from the ground, which had previously ripped the cobblestone from its place. "You said you would destroy everyone here, no?"

The rest of Armstrong's speech (which I knew would be revolving around tears, sparkles, and a missing jacket) was lost to me as Havoc and Fuery rushed over, slowly easing me and Ed into separate sitting positions, no matter how reluctant he was to let go of me. From his jacket, Havoc placed a handkerchief against the gash on my forehead, while Fuery tugged the neck of my sweater down low enough to expose my right shoulder.

"Oh…" Havoc exhaled softly. "Well…this is certainly bad…"

I looked down, studying the disgusting discoloring, the deep renting gash that cut across my collarbone, revealing thin pink ligaments and…

_Holy shit that was my bone…_

Immediately I felt the walls closing in. Even the sounds of fighting seemed distant and soft over the sound of my own heart. "_Chief,_" Havoc's voice seemed to be coming all the way from Xing.

"_Ri, are you alright?_" Ed's comforting hand touched my head. I tried to force out the words, tried to beg for them to bandage it, to get that sight away. The burned flesh. The macabre red. The coying bittersweet smell of my own blood.

Oh God. I'd screwed up so bad… So _so_ bad…

"_Chief!_" Havoc's voice was frantic now.

There was something acidic burning its way up my throat. I gagged.

"_Oh God…Fuery, haul ass and help me get her away!_"

Two pairs of hands (and one solitary hand, oddly) reached under me, pulling me away to the safety of the alley, where Al was still laying. I ignored his gasps of shock as my stomach constricted, bile that had been begging to be free since I'd learned of Nina's death finally getting its wish as it mixed with the steadily pounding rain. I shivered, seeking warmth from the hands roaming my back and touching my forehead. A single leather gauntlet curled around my clammy hand, and I weakly squeezed back.

"Are you alright now?" Havoc's voice seemed clearer now, my moment of hysteria gone. I turned to look at my horrific injury, glad now that Fuery had cleaned and bandaged it while I was…indisposed.

"Fine," I choked out, letting Al's leather hand go. Ed also backed away. I didn't even feel his hand at my neck, holding my hair back instead of violently choking me, like I knew he wanted to.

"Good," Al said curtly, before slamming his fist right into my cheek. Pain exploded, and I briefly saw stars.

"Al, what the hell was that-" Ed was cut off as well when he met a similar fate.

"Brother, Ri, why did you go and throw yourselves in danger like that?" he shouted, watching as we weakly rubbed our heads, my headache exploding with the force of a small bomb. "Stupid Brother! Idiot Sister!"

"I wasn't about to leave you behind!" Ed shouted.

"_THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I'M CALLING YOU STUPID!_" Again, Al punched him.

"If I left, you might have died!"

"I might _not _have! Only an idiot chooses the path to death…_Ri…_" He glared at me threateningly, and I held up my hands…well…hand.

"Please, Al, not a-" My plea fell on deaf ears as he punched me in the jaw. I saw white for a minute.

"Quit calling your brother an idiot!" Ed shouted, ignoring my dazed expression.

"I'll say it as much as I want, _Ri,_" he growled again. He gripped me and Ed by our shirtfronts with one hand. "If you'd lived, and continued to live, and studied alchemy, you could have found a way to get your limbs back, and save little girls like Nina!" My eyes widened at the mere mention of her name. "I would never forgive you…_either _of you, if you choose to die, and throw those possibilities away!"

There was a sickening _crrack! _and Al's arm came away, releasing us involuntarily. I fell to my knees, staring up at Al in shock. "Oh look!" he laughed bitterly, "My arm broke! And it's because of my stupid big brother and my idiot little sister!"

Ed lowered his head with a chuckle. "Heh…look at the three of us," he muttered, gently ruffling my soaked hair. "we look like we belong in the scrap heap."

"But…we're alive," Al said gently.

I smiled up at my brothers, just as the sun broke the cloud cover. "Yeah…" I muttered. "we're alive."

I could feel Mustang's eyes on the three of us. No doubt there were going to be questions onto why Al's armor was empty. But I could hear Hughes, just a touch of pride in his voice. "Looks like I've stumbled into an extra special type of freak show."

Before I knew it, we were herded into a military car, and whisked back to Central. Mustang sat in his usual chair, leaving Al to sit on the floor, me and Ed to stand (a bit unsteadily, since we weren't accustomed to the counterbalance without our arms), and his crew to take the chairs.

"The Ishvalans were a tribe of people to the East, who worshipped Ishvala as their sole creator and God," he began, "There were a couple of skirmishes that broke out after we annexed the country…but thirteen years ago, a military officer accidentally shot and killed an Ishvalan child. The previous skirmishes grew into a full-front confrontation.

"Riots formed more riots, and eventually the civil war engulfed the East…" I could remember tiny snippets of the war in Resembool. Many people supported the Ishvalans rights to be a free nation, while many supported the military. "Finally, the Fuhrer issued an order, seven years into the war. Genocide of the Ishvalan people.

"Many State Alchemists were roped in to serving as human weapons. And the State Alchemists brought forth remarkable achievements." Mustang sighed. "That's why that man, who is a survivor of that Genocide, has a legitimate reason to seek revenge."

"_Bullshit,_" I snarled angrily, glaring down at my feet, "there's no legitimacy in seeking revenge that involves the innocent!" That bastard killed Nina, and I'm going to make him pay… "All he's doing," I said instead, "is sugar coating the ugly truth by calling himself 'God's divine judgment'."

"But the hard truth is he's hostile towards us," Mustang said. "And we can't die, either. So the next time we see him, we'll crush him…"

There was an affirmative 'Yessir' from the gathered troops, excluding me and Ed.

"So, what are you three gonna do now?" Hughes asked, poking at the uselessly hanging lump of metal that _used_ to be a fully-functioning arm.

"We're going to keep moving forward," Ed said stoically. "We can't come to a stop as long as we're alive, after all!"

"Brother…" Al muttered.

Ed smiled gently and placed his hand on Al's nearly nonexistent shoulder. "First off, we need to fix my arm, and that idiot-" he jabbed his finger at me, "—so I can fix your armor, and we can continue our search." He sighed soulfully. "I guess we need to visit our mechanic…"

"Ed," I said sweetly, "there's something I need to do before that."

When he looked at me questioningly, he knew immediately it was too late. He caught that evil gleam in my eye just as I dashed forward, knocking him to the ground next to Al, my only remaining hand clasped around his throat, "_I'M GOING TO KILL YOU FOR IMPLYING THAT I WAS INSANE!_"

"_RI!_"

"_CHIEF!_"

"_ERICAAAAA…_"

"_**WHITEWOOD!**_"

* * *

**Alrighty, well you can definitely see the love blooming. The...slightly psychotic, incredibly disturbing, non-siblingly love!**

**Ericka: Psssh..._me _in love with _that _creature? You on crack, Muse?**

**Me: Why yes. Yes I am!**

**Ed: Good to know we know what spawned _her _*Points at Ericka***

**Ericka: *Screeches and runs after Ed* RUN MIDGET! RUN LIKE YOUR LIFE _DEPENDS _ON IT!_ BECAUSE GOD KNOWING IT DOES!_**

**Me: Oh well, I'd better make sure they don't kill each other! Owari!**


	6. Chapter V: The Road of Hope

**WHOO! School's out! No more Regents, no more finals! Just work, and a crapload of uploads in store for you! Now I've gotten some reviews asking the creepy developing I hate you/I love you siblingly relationship between Ed and Ri. That...hasn't panned out yet for me, but it's getting there! Just bear with the Muse! Plus, I just had a really bad deflate to my ego when I saw I was mislabeling my chapters! Geez, what a downer! Anywho, I really hope I didn't have to say this, but I am no cow-lady, therefore I am not Arakawa-sensei. All I own is $.02, some lint, and, of course, Ericka.**

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**Chapter Five**

**The Road of Hope**

For an early morning, Central Station was packed with tourists, or returning citizens. I couldn't even count the times I'd nearly lost Ed and Armstrong (who the Colonel asked to tag along with us, since we were 'in such a pitiful state'.) But we eventually found ourselves on the local train to Resembool.

"Ten_ sens_ Winry wrenches us to death," I said, rubbing reflexively at the back of my head for the suspiciously shaped wrenchlike scars.

Ed shuddered at the thought, "No contest there," he muttered. There was a knock at our window, and we turned, facing Hughes.

"Hey there," he said, deadpanned, offering a salute at us.

"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes," we both greeted with a nod.

"Our friends at Eastern said they were too busy to come," Hughes said, "so I'm here to see you off instead."

"That's fine by me," Ed muttered, before casting a glance over at Armstrong, who had taken up most of the seat. "but why does _he_ have to come?"

"Getting attacked by Scar in your state won't be a pretty sight," Hughes said with a grin.

Grimacing, I clenched at my empty port, feeling oddly off balance again. "Just accept the Major's kindness."

"Children don't need to be reserved," Armstrong rumbled.

"_We're not kids!_"

"Al's going to be on this ride too, right?" Ed asked, looking around for the absent suit of armor.

"Of course," Armstrong sounded offended. "I thought he'd be lonely riding alone with the luggage, so I placed him with the sheep."

"What the hell do you take my brother for?" Ed screeched.

Before Armstrong could even answer, the train whistle blew. "Oh, it's time," Hughes said, stepping away, offering another salute. "Take care, you two. If you ever happen to be in Central, stop by."

Silently, the three of us offered a salute in reply, although me and Ed were polite enough to apologize for using our left hands.

Eventually, the hours began to drag by. Ed, fed up with being scrunched against the window, moved over to where I was sitting, where he proceeded to snore loudly in my ear. I toyed with the idea of pinching the bridge of his nose shut, until I saw Armstrong fiddling around in his notebook.

"What're you doing?" I asked finally, watching him glance up at us for no less than the fiftieth time.

"Just taking notes," he offered conspiratorially, before returning to whatever the hell he was doing.

Letting out a sigh, I rested my head on Ed's shoulder, eventually drifting off to sleep.

…

When the train stopped in a little town a ways outside of East City, I finally woke up…

Or, to be exact, Ed knocked me to the side when he stretched.

"What the hell was that for?" I shouted, rubbing my bruised cheek. "Damn, Ed, I have enough bandages on my face. I don't need one more!"

"I didn't mean it!" he growled back, shaking his fist at me. "Trust me, you'd know it if I meant to—AGH!"

Armstrong lurched at us, squishing Ed against the window (again). "Dr. Marcoh!" he shouted after a graying man. "You're Dr. Marcoh, aren't you?"

The man turned around, recognition shining in his eyes, coated with fear. "It's me!" Armstrong continued. "Alex Louis Armstrong from Central!"

Gaping wordlessly, the man spun on his heel and ran as fast as he could. "Someone you know?" I asked, shoving Ed farther against the window to get a better look at the man's departing back.

"He's a talented alchemist who used to live in Central," Armstrong explained. "He was studying how to incorporate alchemy into the medical field, but he was reported missing after the civil war."

Ed stiffened beneath me, and he pushed off, knocking me back. Grabbing me by the wrist, he called, "Let's get off here, Major." He looked at me, a hard look in his eyes. "I have a feeling he'd know something about biological alchemy."

"No duh," I grumbled, letting him pull me along while Armstrong retrieved Al from the livestock car.

The town was terraced, residing on the face of the hill. Reaching into his pocket with his free hand, Armstrong withdrew the little notebook I saw him writing in on the train. "Have you seen this man?" he asked the first person he saw. Peering over Ed's shoulder, I saw it was a portrait of the man we saw on the platform.

"Wow…" I breathed out, shocked at the skill.

"You're really good at drawing," Ed drawled.

"The art of portraiture has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations!" Armstrong boomed proudly, accompanied by his cliché pink sparkles. I resisted the urge to facepalm.

"This is Dr. Mauro, isn't it?" the man said finally.

" 'Mauro'?"

"We were in a tight spot when all our doctors were drafted for the civil war," a man imputed. "I don't know what would've happened if Dr. Mauro hadn't come along!"

We continued down the road, once again flashing his picture to another group of civilians. "He won't abandon a single patient, no matter what!" one of them said, the other two nodding in agreement. "We owe him so much."

The rest of the people we showed his picture to all had something along the lines of what we already heard. "There's this big flash of light, and then your wounds are healed!" a young girl said happily.

I looked at Ed, who in turn looked at Armstrong. Yeah. This was definitely alchemy.

Receiving his address, we eventually found ourselves walking up the stairs to the entrance of a squat two-story home. There were metal boxes where flowers could be put, but the only sign of plant life was the creeping ivy making its way up the walls. "This must be the place," Ed mused. I resisted the urge to say 'No shit Sherlock' as he knocked on the door.

I swear, his knuckles barely even _touched_ the door before it flew open, bullet in its wake. I jumped three feet in the air, clumsily into Ed's arms…well, arm, in that cliché position that people only read about in cheap horror novels.

"Why did you come here?" Dr. Marcoh stammered, his grip on the weapon shaky. "You're here to take me back, aren't you? I won't let you take me back!"

"Please, calm down Doctor," Armstrong rumbled, holding up a hand.

"I don't want to go back there. Please…let me go!"

"No, you've got it all wrong…" I tried, trying to keep my knees from shaking.

"Then you came here to shut me up, didn't you?" he growled.

"No, we…"

"You can't trick me!"

Armstrong sighed heavily, which only gave Ed enough time to dart out of the way as he flung the box Al was in at Marcoh. "I'm asking you to calm down, Doctor!"

"_Al!_" we wailed. Ed spared me one look, and dropped me ungracefully on my ass.

Before I had the chance to push him over the balcony, Marcoh lead us inside his home, a bit begrudgingly. The front room was bare, with only a small table, a few chairs, and shelves riddled with medication pushed against the walls.

"I had no idea you were hiding out in the countryside under an assumed name," Armstrong said, turning in his seat to face Marcoh. "I heard a rumor that you had taken some classified documents with you after you left."

"I couldn't stand it," he said softly, clasping his hands. "Sure…it was an order from the superiors…but because of it, I had to stain my hands with researching such a thing…" He grimaced heavily. "So many innocent people lost their lives because of it in the civil war, and I cannot atone for it, even with my life. So I decided to become a doctor for this town, so I could focus on _saving_ lives, not taking them away."

"Doctor," Armstrong said, "what exactly were you ordered to research."

Given, me, Ed, and Al were braced for those three words. But it was still a shock as soon as it had left Marcoh's mouth.

"The Philosopher's Stone." He ignored our collective gasp of shock, continuing. "The papers I took with me were the research data and the Stone itself."

"You have the Stone? Here?" Ed shouted, lurching upward in his seat.

Looking pained, yet resigned, Marcoh reached into his jacket pocket, withdrawing a clear bottle, barely able to hold more than eight ounces. Inside, still moving from being disturbed, was what looked like six ounces of a thick red liquid.

As he uncorked the top, I said, "That's a liquid, not a Stone…"

Without answering, he poured it onto the wood table. Half expecting it to soak into the wood, the liquid reformed itself into an oval shape, roughly the size of a marble.

"The Philosopher's Stone. The Heavenly Stone. The Great Elixir. The Red Tincture. The Fifth Element…"Ed reached out and tentatively touched it, watching it bend beneath his finger to reform again into its oval shape. "It doesn't have to be in the shape of a Stone to _be_ the Stone." With a sigh, he gingerly scooped it up, funneling it back into the bottle.

"But it is incomplete. I don't know when it'll reach its limit and become unusable."

"But it definitely displayed its use in the civil war," I said.

"Same with the High Priest in Lior," Ed muttered, cupping his chin.

"His abilities _were_ pretty impressive, even if it was incomplete," I pointed out with a wag of my finger.

Ed grinned. "If something like that can be made, then it's possible to perfect it if there's more research done on it!"

"Doctor," I asked, "can we see the research data?"

Marcoh looked at Major Armstrong curiously, "Major…who exactly is this girl?"

"She's a State Alchemist."

Marcoh blanched, obviously taking in my still young face. Sure, I was going to be fourteen soon, but the look on his face still made me seethe. "When did the military let girls become State Alchemists?" he asked.

"Since _me_," I growled out.

"You're telling me that this girl…" He spotted the pocket watch on the loop of Ed's pants, and pinched the bridge of his nose, "there were many State Alchemists who gave up their certification after the war in Ishval…because they couldn't stand being called human weapons. And yet-"

"Yes, I know it's stupid!" I shouted angrily. "And we're willing to go through hell to see this through."

Ed began to recount our story, which ended in Marcoh getting up, and bending down before Al, looking into his soul-fire eyes intently. "Amazing…" he breathed out. "So you were able to affix a soul to the armor." He glanced at Ed and me. "Maybe…you two might be able to create a perfect Philosopher's Stone…"

I brightened. "Then…"

"…but I can't show you my data."

"But-"

"You cannot desire such a thing!" Marcoh shouted, turning away from us.

"Even if it's to get our bodies back?" Ed growled.

"You mustn't. This is the Devils Work. You'll go through hell if you research this further."

I didn't know what snapped in me when he said that, but I near screamed, "_I'VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH HELL!_"

Visibly deflated, we left, trailing slowly behind Armstrong. I kept looking back, hoping that Marcoh would miraculously come out of his house, toting his research for us to exploit to our heart's content.

By the time we reached the station, I had resigned myself to the fact that we were never seeing that research. Sighing heavily, I laid down on the bench with my head in Ed's lap and my feet braced on Al's box.

"It would've been easy," Armstrong said, drawing our attention to him. "Even though it was incomplete, you could've taken the Stone by force."

"Of course I wanted it," Ed said with a sigh, "I wanted it so badly, it hurt…but…"

"If we took it, we'd be depriving the town of its doctor, just to get our bodies back," I finished.

"It's good enough that we know that the Philosopher's Stone _can_ be created," Ed said with a grin. "We'll just look for another way!"

The distant train whistle alerted us for the next train, and we stood, waiting patiently as the train pulled into the station. That's when something occurred to me.

"But what about you, Major?" I asked. "Don't you have to report to Central that you saw Dr. Marcoh?"

"I met a local doctor by the name of Mauro."

I grinned triumphantly. "Hey!" I heard Marcoh shout. Turning, I saw that he was bent over, clutching something in his hand. Walking to Ed, he handed him a slip of paper. "This is where my research is hidden," he said. I resisted the urge to whoop happily. "If you will not regret learning the truth, you're free to look. You may even reach the truth behind the truth."

The truth behind the truth? Alright, it's bad enough that he wasn't going to show it to us in the first place, _now_ he's speaking in riddles? "I pray you children will get your bodies back," he said in parting, heading back the way he came.

Silently, me and Ed bowed gratefully, while Armstrong saluted. The train whistled loudly, urging us into the train, while Armstrong settled Al into the emptiest car we could find.

"So what does it say, Brother?" Al asked as Ed unfolded the paper. I snatched it away from him before he could even read it.

"National Central Library," I recited, keeping Ed away with my right foot. "First Branch."

"It does make sense," Armstrong said, "it's the same principle as hiding a tree in a forest. There are enough books there to last several lifetimes."

Ed finally snatched back the paper, glaring at me pointedly. "And we can find a clue to completing the Stone there."

…

"Hey, Granny!" I called, smiling widely as we walked up the well-worn path to Automail Rockbell. "We need your help again!"

It was always weird how I was always the happy one returning to Resembool. Yes, I know…we agreed when we left that we were never coming back, that we had no home to go to, yadda yadda yadda… But just seeing that familiar old lady always brought along that childhood I always chose to forget.

"My goodness," she said, taking her pipe from her mouth as Den rushed forward to sniff experimentally at my leg. "what have you children gotten yourselves into now?"

"A lot," Ed answered with a small smile. Like me, Resembool managed to bring out that inner child in him. Armstrong placed Al on the ground, extending his hand out for Pinako to shake. "Granny, this is Major Armstrong," he introduced.

"Pleasure to meet you," Granny greeted, "I'm Pinako Rockbell." She stepped back, holding her pipe in one hand. "Have you two gotten smaller while you've been away?"

"You're supposed to say, 'My, you've gotten taller?'" Ed hissed, leaving me seething by the Major.

"Now why would I say that?" Pinako said stoically. "You're even shorter than Ri now…" She stared at me. "My, I don't even need to stare up at you anymore!"

"_I'M NOT A LITTLE GIRL!_" I screeched.

I swear, out of nowhere, a wrench came flying out, striking me in the jaw. "RI!" Ed wailed, catching me under the arm. Another wrench, this time a ball and socket wrench (unlike the monkey wrench that had hit me) hit him in the forehead, knocking us both on our asses this time.

"I thought I told you to _call_ when you guys needed emergency work!" I heard Winry scream passed the buzzing in my head.

"_YOU TRYIN' TO KILL ME?_" Ed howled, only magnifying the pounding in my head.

"Goddammit Ed," I muttered, "please…_shut up…_"

She laughed. "Welcome back you guys!"

We were lead inside (at least, after Ed shoved me off of him), where Winry nearly beat us to death again with whatever was handy. From where I sat cross legged on the couch, I could see the tip of a slimmer metal finger, obviously mine, and various bits of wire and debris from a combination of mine _and_ Ed's arms.

"It's ruined…" Winry moaned. "All my beautiful work…ruined…"

"I saved what was left of mine!" I piped up, holding the eight inches of arm that remained relatively intact.

"Yeah…it kinda got smashed," Ed explained, sipping at his coffee.

" 'Smashed…'" Winry echoed, holding the remains in her hands as if it were her child. "It was of the highest quality…ruined…"

"Yeah…to smithereens…"

I elbowed him in the side, "Not helping," I hissed out of the corner of my mouth…

Which was promptly met with a closed fist.

As I lay twitching on the ground, I heard Winry growl, "And Al's broken, too? What the heck have you guys been doing?"

"Oh, you know…" I moaned, "bleeding…suffering from cranial hemorrhaging…the usual…"

All of a sudden, Ed was flipped on top of me (obviously punched as well), followed by Al. I groaned. Maybe we should've just gone to Rush Valley…less pain involved…

"All you three ever do is worry me!" Winry shouted.

Finally recovered (as much as we could), we explained our situation to Granny. "I see," she said, tapping her pipe in the ash tray. "So you want to return to Central as soon as possible?"

"Yeah, so we really need a rush job," Ed explained.

I was sitting on the couch next to Ed, who was in a light blue sleeveless shirt with his white boxers. Granny was measuring his legs. From where I sat, I could see that there was at least half an inch of a difference between his flesh leg and the automail one.

"It looks like you need your leg adjusted too," she mused, moving the stool she was using to prop Ed's legs up over to me. "Alright, Ri. Show me the damage."

Shamelessly, I tugged off my shirt and unsnapped my pants, taking off my socks and boots somewhere along the line. Ed and Al just stared, while the Major politely excused himself from the room.

"What?" I asked, crossing my arm against my chest. "I've known you for _how_ long now?"

"But you're a _girl_," Ed pressed.

"Your point?"

Seeing no point in arguing, he merely huffed, settling his gaze somewhere in the kitchen. Setting my legs on the stool, she lined them up, studying the soles of both my feet intently. "Ri, did you start your menstrual cycle yet?" she asked out of nowhere.

I didn't know who blushed worse. Me, Ed, or Al (God knows how). "_GRANNY!_" I hissed loudly.

When she stared at me levelly, I knew it was a legitimate question, not just something to tease me over. Facing the complete opposite direction, I mumbled, "I was eleven," under my breath.

She nodded slowly. "Sorry, Ericka, but your growing days are over."

"NO!" I wailed. "DON'T TELL ME HE'LL GET TALLER THAN ME! I WAS A GOOD GIRL! I DRANK MY MILK!"

"Maybe if you ate your meat…" Ed snickered.

I slapped him upside the head. "MEAT HAD A FACE! _A FACE_! YOU EXPECT ME TO EAT SOMETHING THAT HAD A _FACE_?"

Moaning, I didn't catch what Granny said next, but Ed's concerned question of, "Will it take a week?" caught me off guard. A week was too long. We needed to get to Central _now,_ and if I weren't in my underwear and Armstrong wasn't on our asses 24/7, we'd be exactly where we should've been: Central Library. But then again, Granny and Winry had to completely redo my arm, Ed's arm, and adjust his leg. A week sounded generous

"Don't underestimate me," Granny said tersely, puffing out a small smoke cloud. "Give me three days."

Removing Ed's leg, she passed it to Winry, who handed her one of the prosthetics that I saw most veterans walking around with. "Until then, you'll just have to deal with the spare," she said.

"Alright," Ed said, getting to his feet. Immediately, he pitched forward, and I gripped the back of his shirt. "It's hard walking on a leg you're not used to…" He looked back at me, gracing me with a slim smile. "Thanks."

Caught off-guard, I stuttered, "W-well, I couldn't have let you just _fall_."

"Don't worry," Granny assured, "I'll fix it up before you'll get used to it."

"Let's see…" Winry muttered to herself. "We have materials, assemblies, connections, calibrations…Three all-nighters, that's for sure."

"Sorry for being such a pain in the ass here," Ed apologized.

Winry grinned back at us, "You guys need to get to central as fast as possible, right?" she asked. "So we'll get that done! But there'll be extra for the express fee!"

Politely excusing myself, I whistled softly for Den, who dutifully followed after me. Changing back into my clothes from before, I walked out the front door. Pausing only to transmute a bouquet of white orchids from the ground outside, I lamely followed the path east, heading the complete opposite way of the cemetery, where most people would expect me to be going.

"Hey, it's Ri!" I heard someone call. Looking behind me, I smiled as I embraced one of the guys I used to play with back when I was little. "You've gotten taller, Jackrabbit!"

I grinned at the praise, pulling away. "I'll seeya around," I said in goodbye, continuing down the road. The dirt path led to a splintering wooden bridge, which looked like it would cave into the stream underneath at the slightest pressure. I winced just thinking about Den walking over it.

Stooping down to pick her up, I stepped lightly over the bridge, wincing at every dangerous creak I heard from the rotted boards. Thankfully, Den seemed to know what I was doing, because she didn't squirm like I knew she would. It was bad enough holding her up, plus the transmuted flowers in one hand, let alone her squirming.

Once across, I set her down, watching her trod ahead, as if knowing where I wanted to go. But I didn't move. How long had it been since I'd crossed that bridge, holding onto my parent's hands? That bastard built that bridge, repaired it several times while I napped with Ed, Al, and Winry on the colorful quilt that burned with the Elric House. A soft breeze blew, bringing the distant scent of cold ash and burned wood to my nose. I shuddered.

Come on, Ri, I counseled harshly, forcing myself forward, like a man on his way to the gallows. You can do this…

I could see it already. Ahead, where the path ended, there was an almost bare patch of earth. As I got closer, I could see that grass had grown back in spots, leaving charred slivers of wood, broken shingles (which were a little more than gravel now), and smoky bricks partially exposed.

Sighing heavily, I walked over to the clearing, going over the schematics of the house that once stood on that spot in my head. Finding the spot I wanted, I kneeled down, placing the bouquet of orchids on the ground in front of me.

My mom had an empty grave because of this fire. There was nothing left of her. No bones. No nothing…

I sighed miserably, gently ruffling Den's fur as she rested her head on my knee, staring up at me with big brown eyes. She whined.

"I'm supposed to say something, right?"I asked. Den just cocked her head up at me, as if she were agreeing with me. Great, now I'm talking to a dog.

I sighed again, glancing up. What do you say in these positions? It's not like I haven't done this before…it was just the first time doing it _here_. Where the memories of that night were strongest.

"Um…" I began hesitantly, "hi, Mom." Well, what a wonderful way to start talking to the dead, Ri. Just break out the candles and you'll have a proper séance going on and a one way ticket to Central Asylum. "I know this is kinda stupid of me, coming here, instead of your grave. But it's nine years now that I've been doing this thing, and I want to actually _visit_…since your grave is empty and all…

"Still no luck on the Philosopher's Stone. I swear, the last lead we had in Lior, I thought Ed finally lost it. I know, he wants Al's body back bad enough…but seeing him with that look on his face scares me. And _nothing_ scares me." My hand was absently stroking the top of Den's head, slowly causing her to drift off to sleep. "I'm starting to wonder if the Philosopher's Stone really exists. Ed keeps dismissing the notion, but we're going on this wild goose chase on a wing and a prayer, not that I'm a big God-believer, but I can tell that he's starting to doubt it too.

"I've been keeping out of trouble…" Okay, that was a lie. "Alright…mostly out of trouble. But I need to protect them. They're my brothers. It pisses me off that Ed continuously throws himself in front of me. Just because I'm thirteen_ doesn't_ mean I can't handle myself!" Alright Ri, you're getting mad. Calm down.

"That Night…" I murmured softly, feeling a cold wind blow, raising the hairs on the back of my neck, "I can't remember what…what that _thing_ looked like…but…" I sighed shakily, hating myself for just _thinking_ about it, "…was it you? I hate myself just for _thinking _about something like this…but it's crossed my mind so many times. I can't tell Ed or Al about it…they'll hate me."

Was I whimpering? Oh God, please tell me I wasn't whimpering. Because whimpering for me was just one step closer to a full-blown sob fest.

"It's getting late…" I finally whispered hoarsely, "and Winry will start worrying. I'm surprised Armstrong hasn't mobilized the army looking for me."

"He almost did."

Turning around, I nearly jumped out of my skin seeing Ed standing there, a soft, sympathetic smile on his face. "I told him I had a pretty good idea where you were going, so I went for you."

"Just like when we were little," I murmured softly.

He slid out of his jacket, kneeling down to drape it around my shoulders. "C'mon, Ri," he murmured, "let's go home."

It was night by the time we stepped foot in the Rockbells. But as soon as that door swung open, we were assaulted by Armstrong, suffering another rib-crunching hug. "EDWARD ELRIC!" he sobbed, "WHAT INNOCENT LOVE THAT DROVE YOU TO RESURRECT YOUR OWN MOTHER! WHAT TREMENDOUS BROTHERLY LOVE THAT DROVE YOU TO AFFIX YOUR BROTHER'S SOUL WHILE PREPARED TO THROW YOUR OWN LIFE AWAY! YOUR UNEARTHLY DETERMINATION THAT DROVE YOU TO BURN DOWN YOUR MEMORY-LAIDEN HOME!

"ERICKA CELTIX! WHAT TRAGEDY YOU FACED WITH THE DEATH OF YOUR MOTHER IN THAT BLAZING INFERNO THAT TOOK YOUR HOME! WHAT HEARTBREAK FACING THE DEATH OF YOUR FOSTER MOTHER! ACCEPT MY EMBRACE!"

"_GET OFF!_" I screeched, pounding at his chest. "GET THE HELL OFF!"

…

No matter what we tried to do, we eventually ended up bored. Winry threw us out when we continuously pestered her on how fast we would be out of there. The assembled pieces of my arm were at least looking like an arm. Ed's was just a metal skeleton. For some reason, that gave me some self-satisfaction that I'd be done first.

But now, completely bored, I was laying in the thick grass, in between Ed and Al, wearing one of the gray tank tops I kept on hand, and light green shorts.

"They said it would be done in three days," Al pacified, "so just wait patiently."

"I know," Ed muttered, "but how do you expect me to sit quietly when there's a lead about the Philosopher's Stone in Central?"

I was about to open my mouth until I heard Winry shrieking happily. "It's done!" she called, hefting two arms. One slim and feminine, the other bulky and male. She was positively beside herself with joy.

Taking one glance at Ed, I bolted for the door, wanting to be the first one to get done. I got my wish as I sat down on the chair, my shirt off, Winry posed at my shoulder, Alan wrench the only thing keeping me away from the unbearable pain.

"Ready?" she asked as Ed sat by, looking positively livid.

"As I'll ever be," I muttered, clenching and unclenching my fist.

"One…"

Oh, this is going to be bad…

"Two…"

Maybe not this time. Maybe you're _used_ to the pain by now…

"Three."

It was just a tweak of her wrist. It felt like lightning was slowly roasting each of my nerves alive, making me writhe in my seat. "Geez, you'd think it gets better over time," I muttered. "Well, the bright side is I can kiss this pain goodbye once we've got the Philosopher's Stone."

"That's too bad," Granny Pinako said from somewhere off on my side, setting Ed up for his turn with pain, "between the two of you, we can retire comfortably. You're our big cash cows."

Winry twisted the Alan wrench another way, making me jerk in my seat. "Yeah," she agreed, "there's no need for you to go through the trouble of getting your limbs back! You're the only girl I've worked on with automail!" She was beaming now as she worked. "And what's wrong with the smell of oil, the groaning of bearings…this beautiful form that is the testament of human engineering?"

"Machine freak," Ed muttered under his breath, making me snigger as she turned to work on him, hoisting the Alan wrench threateningly.

"Shut up, alchemy junkie."

Standing, I patiently waited for Ed, choosing to rotate the arm in its socket, listening to the reassuring _clink_ of metal scraping against metal. It felt like any other arm, besides the fact it was metal.

"So how is it?" Winry asked, addressing both me and Ed, since he was done.

"Fine," I said enthusiastically.

"Be careful," she warned, "I decided to raise the ratio of chrome in the arms so it would be more resistant to rust."

That was the last thing I heard. By the time she was on her second sentence, I was out of the house, rushing for Al, while Ed was apologizing for making him wait.

By the time I caught up to them, Ed was kneeling before Al, all the chunks of his armor, down to the tiny chips that had gotten caught in my hair, surrounding him on the tarp they had used to keep his general emptiness from view.

"Will you be able to fix him quickly?" Armstrong asked.

"Yeah, but there's a trick to it," Ed explained. Removing Al's head, he gestured to the small rune on the inside, just below where the neck should have been, "The seal there acts as the median between Al's soul and the armor, so I have to make sure I don't mess it up." Clapping his hands, he touched it to the tarp. Electricity lashed out, melding Al together as seamlessly as he had been days before.

"There!" Al said, happy to stand on his own two feet.

"What do you say to a little test run?" Ed asked.

"Count me in!" I said with a grin, already feeling myself fall into a stance.

"Right!" Al chimed in, wasting little time in launching at us.

For the time being, I could forget about the Philosopher's Stone, the weight of our burden, the secret pain I carried with me every day, and poor Nina's death.

For now, all I had to worry about was flip…

Backbend…

Ankle sweep…

Shoulder roll…

Right hook…

Duck…

…

When we were finally back inside, Ed collapsed on the couch, immediately falling asleep, leaving me to take Al's lap, not that I wasn't used to it. I was just drifting off to sleep when I heard Al chide, "Brother's sleeping with his stomach out again. And Ri's curled up in a ball, like a cat…"

"It's like you're the big brother, Al," I heard Granny Pinako say.

"How old are you guys now?" Winry asked from somewhere off to my side.

"I'm fourteen," Al said, "Brother's fifteen, and Ri'll be fourteen in a few weeks."

"They're both so small, and they're about the same age as me," Winry said softly, "and they're seriously called human weapons? Look how defenseless they look right now."

Defenseless my ass…I'd show them, if only I wasn't so comfortable…

"Thanks, you two," Al said suddenly. "You've welcomed us in like your family. And although they don't say it…Brother and Ri mean it too."

"We know."

…

I was fully rested by the time dawn rolled around. Tightening the bandages around my right hand, I waved back at Granny. "Thanks for everything," Ed said.

"Anytime, kids," she said.

"Where's Winry?" Al asked.

"She's been so exhausted by all the all-nighters, I let her sleep in," Granny explained. "Want me to go wake her up?"

I was about to say yes, just so I could hug her goodbye, but Ed answered for us, "Nah, let her sleep," he said dismissively, waving his hand behind him as he walked away. "She'll just start nagging us about maintenance."

We were already halfway down the road when I heard someone shout, "Hey, you three!"

Turning, I saw it was Granny. "Stop by for a home cooked meal sometime, will you?"

"We will," me and Al answered.

Ed grinned, "Why would we come all the way out into the boonies for a meal?"

"Ed, Al, Ri," Winry called sleepily from the upper floor. She looked like she literally rolled out of bed, with her hair almost as messy as mine (and hers wasn't crazily layered). "Have a safe trip…"

Waving behind us, we headed down to the tiny station that linked Resembool with Amestris, urging ourselves faster, as if it would get us closer to Central.

* * *

**Here it is! Hopefully this cleared up some earlier problems dealing with which arm Ri was missing. Before anyone starts, she's a 13 on the Mary Sue Test. I'm proud to say that. **

**Ericka: And I'll kill whoever calls me a Mary Sue!**

**Muse: She will!**

**Ericka: I will!**

**Ed: They get it!**

**Muse: Before they kill each other again, I want to say thanks for the reviews, and more reviews equal more chapters! SO REVIEW! IT'S THE BUTTON RIGHT BELOW THE CHAPTER END!**


	7. Chapter VI: The Hidden Truth

**It's been a while, my lovely readers! Are you glad to see me? Did you miss me?**

**Ri: I did, especially since the shit was beat out of me in this chapter...**

**Muse: ...Hush Ri. Anyway, to return to my insane spiel-**

**Ed: Which is insane.**

**Muse: ...Hush Ed. I want to say that I have cover art for Whitewood! The link is on my profile! If you have a DeviantART account, feel free to comment, fave (you'd better fave). If not, just comment on it in the review!**

**Ri: Chapter Warnings! I mentioned that I get the shit beat out of me, and I drop the F-bomb. No flames for that, or I'll come and kill you!**

**Muse: She will. I really wish I didn't have to say this, but I am no cow-lady, therefore I am not Arakawa-sensei. All I own is $.02, some lint, and, of course, Ericka.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

**The Hidden Truth**

Nothing. Nothing, not even Nina's death chalked up to the sick feeling I felt in my stomach. Ed was silent. Terrifyingly so. It was the silence that made me the sickest. He was never _this_ silent. But staring at the ruins of what once was a library…hell, even that would make me quiet.

Finally, I think the whole weight of the situation clicked with him. "Dr. Marcoh's research!" he howled.

Walking over to the burnt remains of the library, I touched a hand to one of the intact books. It came a part in my hand, staining my palm dark with soot. "Everything's burned to a crisp…" I muttered.

"Major Armstrong!" I heard someone call from behind me. The voice was feminine. Turning at the same time as Ed and Al, we saw two soldiers: a man with dirty blonde hair, and a woman with close cut brown hair. They were saluting us.

"Ah, Second Lieutenant Ross, Sergeant Brosh," Armstrong greeted. "What's the matter?"

"We've been given orders to report, sir," Lieutenant Ross (I guess), said.

"We will take over the duty of escorting the Fullmetal and Whitewood Alchemists," Sergeant Brosh (hopefully) finished.

"Alright then," Armstrong said with a nod.

"Agh!" Ed cried, clamping his hands over his ears, "Just when I was hoping to get rid of the smothering guy, I get _more_ escorts?"

"Geez," I said sarcastically, "well _that _certainly ruins my plans of going skinny dipping in the Areugian Sea with my secret Cretan lover."

Ed and Al glanced at me uncomprehendingly. "What?" I snapped. "A girl can't be sarcastic?"

Without another word, Ross and Brosh led us into a military car. "There's someone who used to work at the first Branch, who was really well-versed in the materials there," Ross said, "and although she is no longer employed…"

"Looks I shouldn't expect as much…" I muttered under my breath, glaring out the window.

"Can I help you?" Al asked curiously. I turned, noticing that Brosh was staring at Al.

"U-um…" he began uncomfortably, "pardon my impudence…but why do you wear a suit of armor?"

I hurriedly glanced at Al, who was busy staring at Al. Ed stared at me, and finally, and unspoken pact passed between us. Turning back to Ross and Brosh, we replied, a bit hurriedly, "It's a hobby!"

Ross and Brosh turned to each other, whispering hurriedly under their breath. I immediately found the trash can we were passing _extremely _interesting. "Gee, take a look at that trash can!" I said, a little too nonchalantly. "Isn't it a pretty trash can?"

Ed looked at me as if I had suddenly sprouted ten heads, but I merely laughed nervously.

When we pulled up outside of an apartment building, I was glad to be outside, and as far away as I could get from our _handlers_. Leading us up the stairs, Ed knocked on the front door. "Miss Sheska?" he called. The door yielded to his touch. What we saw both shocked and put me in such a state of awe, my jaw almost hit the floor.

The entire apartment was full of books. And when I say full of books, I mean _full of books._ Wall to ceiling. Stacked in neat, orderly rows so tight _I_ could barely fit through them.

I'd never felt more in love.

"Get your head out of the book, Ri," Ed grumbled, slapping me upside the head, "you can marry the apartment later. _After_ we're done here."

"Okay…" I muttered dejectedly, squirming through the tight aisles. "Miss Sheska?"

For about half an hour, we combed the entire apartment. I was no help, of course, because Al (who could barely step foot in the apartment) was getting lonely, and I stayed with him. Eventually, the other three returned.

"No sign of her," Brosh reported.

"Maybe she wasn't here?" I supplied.

"Then why would she leave her lights on?" Ed shot back at me. "She's here…"

Al's attention was obviously fixed on something. "Do you hear that?" he asked.

I looked up at him. All I could see were mountains of books, just waiting to be read. But what drew my attention was a collapsed case of books, all haphazardly laying in a hill. From there, I could just barely hear someone calling for help.

"_Gah!_" I screeched, "_SHE'S UNDER THE BOOKS!_"

Ed, Al, Brosh, and Ross jumped, scurrying over to the hill of books, digging for the woman who was trapped underneath. I hung back, knowing I'd be no help. Me and books…well, we had a mutual understanding of borderline obsession.

In stead, I settled down in a little cubby, drawing my knees up to my chest. For some reason, the floor seemed unusually comfortable, and I _was_ kinda tired… A few minutes of sleep wouldn't hurt anybody…

…

_There was something wrong. The background was smoky, like the mist that often sprung up in the morning around Resembool. Blood dripped from my fingers, which looked way to pale to be mine. Even as I watched, the tiny cuts that had accumulated on my fingers seemed to evaporate, knitting together with an eerie red glow._

_The screech of battle surrounded me. Flames were springing up with the sound of someone clapping? _Mustang can transmute without a circle?_ I thought, turning my head to the center of the fray._

_All of a sudden, Ed and Al leapt at me. Al's armor was torn in several places, revealing the hallowness underneath. Ed was covered in blood, his automail arm a little better than scrap._

_I had barely enough time to react before they were on me. _

_Springing backwards, Al's fist crashed where I had been only moments before. He didn't know my movements in battle like Ed did. So Al was easy to avoid._

_Ed, not so much._

_His closed fist rammed into my stomach, making me gag on _nothing._ For the first time since this weird dream began, I realized I was _nothing. _Just a small piece of nothing in a human form. Glancing up at Ed, I expected to see hatred. Even bitterness._

_The sadness there, lurking behind the veil of his eyes made me cringe._

_Barely avoiding another blow, I aimed to sweep his legs out from underneath him, only for him to practically skip backwards. My limbs felt like lead. Even getting up seemed to be a chore. _Why do I feel like this?_ I wondered, my head snapping roughly to the side as he landed another blow. This time, I felt my jaw give. _

_Ed was intentionally hitting me. Why? Even in our worst fights, he'd done nothing more than give me a few bruises. Even then, he cringed like he was in pain. But now, except for the incredible sadness lurking behind his gaze, he was completely stoic. Even Al didn't move from his spot on the sidelines. There was a tiny girl with a black and white kitty gnawing on someone I couldn't see, but his screams certainly magnified the growing pain in my head._

_Regaining my senses, I jumped back, bending in midair to catch his head between my feet. Caught off guard, Ed sailed back with me, striking the ground headfirst while I maintained perfect balance on my hands. Ed coughed blood, but I felt nothing._

_All of a sudden, his right arm shot out, gripping me with bruising force. I felt bones in my left wrist grinding together painfully as he yanked it out from under me, upsetting my balance, and sending me crashing headfirst to the cold concrete. Stars exploded behind my closed eyelids, and I resisted the urge to whimper._

_Opening my eyes, I was shocked to see Ed standing over me, the remaining bit of his automail transmuted into a crude blade. Water dripped onto my face, and, as he bent down, straddling my hips, the armblade limp at his side…_

_I was shocked to see him crying._

_Al came then, kneeling somewhere behind me. At once, I felt bruising pressure on both of my wrists (at least, my automail was registering pressure), and I knew I was being held down. Al was making crying sounds, and that frightened me._

"_I'm so sorry…" Ed whispered, the blade pressed against my bare stomach._

Ed… _I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. But the words wouldn't come._

_Metal pierced flesh. Blood flowed from the wound and I arched off the ground. This wasn't honorable! This wasn't the right way to die! I was being held down, like some animal, while Ed practically disemboweled me._

_Whatever he meant to do, he did, because the pressure in my abdominal cavity ceased, and he rose, crying in earnest now. In his flesh hand, covered in gore, were seven individual Red Stones. _What were those doing in me?_ I wondered, feeling slightly detached. I remembered reading somewhere that it took a person twenty minutes to bleed out from stomach wounds…_

_I found it cruel. I was going to die, while my killers watched. _

_Staring bleakly up at Ed, I found it odd that I didn't scream, or I wasn't sobbing like I had at my mother's grave. What was wrong with me?_

_Ed fell to his knees, cradling my head in his lap. He was sobbing so loud, it nearly drowned out the other sounds. This was going to be the longest twenty minutes of my life…_

_Ed and Al. My shred of a life revolved around them. My brothers. And they killed me in cold blood. Why?_

_I was feeling distinctly lightheaded. The sounds of battle seemed dim. Even Ed's ragged sobs and Al's clanking ones seemed far away, like they were across a gulch. Turning my gaze for the first time since he'd attacked me up at Ed, I locked eyes with him, the unspoken question passing between us._

_I want to die._

_Ed seemed to understand, because he placed his bloodied blade to my neck, resting the edge against my weakly throbbing carotid. _

"_I love you…" The three words were the last I heard before I embraced death._

…

Bolting upright, I was shocked to see Ed gripping me by my arms, holding me off the floor. Al was behind me, his hands pressed reassuringly against my shoulders. Brosh and Ross looked at me, as if I had suddenly sprouted three heads. The woman…_Sheska_ I reminded myself, stood with her hands nervously clasped, eyes wide and scared behind her glasses.

I knew I was going to cry. Turning my head into Al, I whispered, "Can I have a minute?"

Ross seemed to understand my silent need. "Miss Sheska, do you know it you have any coffee in the house? My partner and I can use a cup."

It must've been a woman thing, because she understood, silently trudging off, while Ross was left to drag Brosh away.

Thankful, I exhaled, the sound a little broken by the quiet sob I needed to get out. Al's hands drew me back until I was resting in his lap. He arranged me like I was a kitten, curled up against him, feeling small as I cried.

Ed sighed softly, shrugging off his coat. He draped it across me, his hand resting on top of my head. _I love you, _he had said. Why would he say that? He was my _brother, _for God's sake!

"I haven't had one this bad since…since the night Mom d-died," I choked out.

Ed nodded, accepting the fact that I needed silence. "Sheska said she can recopy Marcoh's notes," he murmured finally.

I nodded. "She has a copy?" I asked, wiping my eyes with the corner of my jacket.

"Photographic memory," he said, before smirking, "and to think I met an even _bigger _bookworm!"

"Shut up," I whispered, turning further into Al. I didn't care if I ever laid eyes on another book again. Whatever was here triggered one _weird-ass _nightmare…

"Let's go…" he finally said again. Sensing I was in no mood to walk, Al soundlessly carried me out the door. "She said five days."

/

"Here it is!" Sheska said, gesturing to a gigantic pile of bound papers. "Sorry it took five days. There was a lot to write down!"

"Is this it?" I asked doubtfully, picking up one ream of paper. On the cover, sprawled in neat handwriting, was _1000 Bite Menu For Today by Tim Marcoh_. I glanced at Ed, gesturing to the title above the name.

"There certainly are talented people in the world," Al said from behind us, unaware of the silent understanding passing between us.

"Is this really Dr. Marcoh's research?" Ed asked, glancing at the papers in my hand. He flipped to a random page in the book.

"Yes it is!" Sheska said, a little too happily for my tastes. "1000 Meals for Daily Living, written by Tim Marcoh!"

Ross took another ream, flipping to another page. "Add a cup of water to a tablespoon of sugar…These really are 1000 recipes for daily living…"

Al was crouched over our shoulders while we silently read. True…these were recipes. But every great alchemist knew to code their research.

"What makes this such an important document?" Brosh asked, pointing to the stacks of paper.

"I copied it down exactly as I remember!" Sheska cried.

"Looks like this was a wild goose chase…"

"Are these in Dr. Marcoh's _exact_ words?" Ed asked.

"Yes," she said heatedly, "without a doubt!"

I grinned at Ed, flipping the ream closed to its original cover page, "You're amazing, Miss Sheska," I said, "thanks a lot…and I'm sorry about yesterday."

"It's no problem," she said, "but…thanks for a cook book?"

Without bothering to answer her, I stalked over to the table, placing the first ream on top of the stack I remembered taking it from. "Let's take these back to Central Library?" I asked Ed, watching him lift his own stack up into his arms.

"Right," he said, "there's bound to be a bunch of related books there."

"Yep," Al agreed, following us out.

"Oh, geez!" I exclaimed. "Ed, we need to _pay_ the woman!"

Looking at Ed, I balanced my stack on my knee, holding my pen cap in my mouth as I withdrew my moleskin journal and hastily scribbled in it. Passing the piece of paper I had written on to Ed, he wrote on it, while I removed my pocket watch from the loop on my jeans.

"Second Lieutenant Ross!" I called, capping my pen and stowing both it and my journal into the hidden pocket in my jacket.

Ed handed his pocket watch, the folded paper, and my pocket watch, over to the woman, "On the paper is our registration codes, and our pocket watches as identification," he explained.

"Withdraw half of the written number there from our annual research grants and give it to Miss Sheska," I said, following Ed out the door, almost dropping my stack of papers on the way.

"Okay, so all I do is go down to the State Alchemist Treasury in the Presidential Prefecture…" Ross said, before I closed the door, and her voice was lost behind the wood.

From behind me, I could hear Ross screech, "_WHAT'S WITH THIS NUMBER?_" and I grinned. Typical reaction to the power of a State Alchemist!

…

Finally sitting down in a closed-off room, Brosh asked, "Are these recipes really research documents for alchemy?"

"Alchemy is dangerous when abused," Ed said, intently studying a ream of paper. I sat on Al's shoulders, intent on reaching the highest books.

"And to prevent their research from being stolen," I said, withdrawing a book from a high shelf, "alchemists code their research."

"To an average person, these recipes look like that. A bunch of recipes," Ed said, brandishing the ream of recipes at Brosh, "only the alchemist who wrote it can decrypt it."

"In basis, it's a highly advanced, and _highly dangerous_ document," I said, hopping down from Al's shoulders with surprising grace, holding three heavy texts in my arms.

"…Do you two always finish each other's sentences?" Brosh asked.

Unamused, we both didn't look up, even as we answered with an affirmative, "Yup."

"…If only the alchemist who wrote it could understand the content, how are you going to decrypt it?"

"Knowledge and inspiration," Ed said, returning to the recipe he was reading. "The rest?"

"Trying not to strangle each other when things get heated…" I grunted...

Before realizing how _wrong_ my words sounded. "_NOT LIKE THAT!_" I hastily rectified.

"Ri!" Ed said excitedly, "There's a recipe here for Green Tea!"

"Do you mean…"

"I think it's a reference to the Green Lion. The Philosopher's Moon." He returned to the document. "Do you have Flamel's Manuscripts, or books on Lambspring's Philosopher's Stone?"

"Here's Flamel," I said, patting a worn green text, embossed in gold. "Al! Did you find any books on Lambspring's Philosopher's Stone?"

"Here, Ri," Al said, passing me two thick volumes, hardly legible, but helpful nonetheless.

"Take a look!" Ed said excitedly, "This has to do with it too!"

"Yeah, you're right!" Al said, pointing to another line. "This one too!"

"There's something in here that mentions 'green tea' again," I said, underlining the line in the recipe I was working with. "That might have something to do with it too!"

"Alright! Let's give this a shot!" Ed exclaimed.

…Unfortunately, our thunder was stolen right after those finds…

I was practically passed out on the floor, surrounded by too many books with _too many damn words…_

"Why is the encryption hard as hell…" Ed moaned from somewhere off to my left…or was it my right? Oh hell, what did I care?

"Do you think it'll be faster-"

"And less painful," I interrupted Al.

"—to just _ask_ Dr. Marcoh?"

"No!" Ed howled. "If we ask him, we'll lose!"

"What?" I snapped, "Our _sanity?_ Because you're seriously working on it!"

"Is there a problem here?"

Looking up, we saw that Brosh had opened the door for Sheska, who bowed deeply. "Thanks to you two, I was able to move my mother to a better hospital. I really appreciate it."

"It was really no big deal," I said, waving my hand dismissively at her while I scribbled some more over my decryption model.

"Any progress with the decoding?" she asked.

We groaned.

"Did you find a job yet?" Al asked.

She groaned. But her moment of gloom didn't last as long as ours, because she was back to her perky self. "But thanks to you, I realized that even a failure like me could be useful to others!"

"You're not a failure," Al said. "I believe being wholeheartedly able to commit yourself is a talent in itself, and you have an amazing memory. You should have more confidence in yourself."

I smirked to myself as I passed my decryption on to Ed. Typical Al. Always there to cheer you up when you felt like crap.

The doors swung open, and momentarily, I felt peeved that Ross and Brosh had let someone in when we _clearly _said we didn't want to be disturbed. This lasted only for a moment. "Yo," Lieutenant Colonel Hughes greeted, his hand raised.

"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes!" I greeted with a smile. Out of everyone in Central, he was always the person I loved to see the most. That, and his daughter was _adorable!_

…At least, when he wasn't shoving photos in my face.

"I heard from Major Armstrong that you three were back in Central." He slammed his palms down on our table, knocking my pen to the ground. I cursed, bending down under the table to get it. "C'mon, I told you guys to stop by and say hi when you were back!" He fell silent, and I cursed again as my pen rolled out of reach. "…So Ed, you hook up with Ri yet?"

"_WHAT THE __**HELL**__?_" I shrieked, banging my head on the underside of the table. I screeched out a curse so loud, Ed reached under and covered my mouth with his palm. That still didn't stop me from screeching, "_Th el ith eople sane wher otether?_"

"Anyway," Ed said, trying to steer the conversation away, "we had really urgent matters to deal with."

"I've been busy too!" Hughes said, scratching at the back of his head, "There have been a lot of incidents and such lately. The case with Tucker and the chimera isn't closed yet either…"

He must've caught his words too late, because Ed looked like he was going to leap over the table and throttle the man. I had fallen silent, my fists clenched, the nails of my flesh hand biting into my palm.

"Excuse me," I said tightly, heading toward the bookshelves. Behind me, I could hear Ed softly (which was a shock) shouting at Hughes. I was thankful that he was so protective of me, but I was over Nina's death…

Just, hearing Hughes say 'Tucker and his chimera' made me sick to my stomach. Nina was a _person_ goddammit!

I was just about to knock over a bookcase when I noticed a slim book, barely one hundred pages thick. Its spine was a filthy looking bronze, stained with smoke. It's black lettering was almost completely gone, but I could just make out the title…

_Aveumortis._

The last time I had seen the book, it had been in Tucker's library. Even then, it had called to me. Tentatively reaching out for the book, I cast a look behind my shoulder. I could hear Ed and Al whispering to themselves in the background, hoping I wouldn't overhear. They were lucky I wasn't interested in what they were saying.

Flipping open to a random page, I picked up at the head of the page:

_An Aveumortis (pl. Aveumorti) is a person who was supposed to die, but their life was saved by another person's life taken in his/her stead. The person, now classified as an Aveumortis, is destined to live out the life span of the person who died for them. In lieu of this, the soul of the Aveumortis is—_

"He's gone now, Ri," Ed said from behind me. Hastily, I shoved the book back in its place. "He was guilty for bringing it back up. I know it was painful for you…"

I shrugged him off, heading back to our table in the end of the room. "It's nothing," I grunted, the tiny paragraph I had read clear in my mind. Why had that book called to me? It's just a book…

"Sheska got a job recopying all the case files that were stored in the First Branch." Ed laughed. "He practically dragged her out of the room!"

"What is he, a kidnapper?" I asked with a grin, sitting down in my vacant chair.

Ed merely sighed, letting his head slam down on top of his work. " 'Being able to wholeheartedly commit yourself to something is a talent in itself', huh…" he muttered, echoing Al's words.

I smirked nastily, "Nice words, big brother," I teased, glancing at Ed.

"I certainly feel that way," he said, and I swear I saw him wink. "Especially when I look at a _certain someone._"

Ed gripped his pen in his hand, glancing between the two of us, "Then I guess this certain someone's going to keep working his ass off," he said, his face kind.

Our schedule didn't vary from then on. Ross and Brosh remained outside, guarding the door. As Ed barked off information, I scribbled down my decryption, flipping through the reams of paper as they came flying at me. I slept like a rock whenever I crashed, only woken awake whenever Ed would have a mini mental breakdown, scaring me half out of my ass.

Volumes and volumes of Marcoh's research flew by slowly as we decrypted, recrypted, recoded, decoded, and occasionally tore papers as tensions grew, nerves were frayed, and I grew increasingly more volatile as the days wore by. And all the while, my handwriting (and I had prided myself on being ambidextrous) grew increasingly shaky, and the bags under my eyes only grew worse.

It continued like that until finally…

"_BULLSHIT!_"

Papers flew, books crashed, chairs were knocked on end as I settled myself in the corner, drawing my knees up to my chest, trying to disappear into the shadows. I was shaking. The truth…the truth was disgusting.

"Sibling fight?" Brosh asked. I wasn't even aware the door had opened.

"You shouldn't fight just because you can't decrypt it," Ross said evenly.

"We decrypted it," I said spitefully.

"We cracked the code," Al whispered.

"Seriously?" Brosh exclaimed, "That's great!"

"THERE'S NOTHING GREAT ABOUT IT!" Ed howled. "The Devil's research…undesirable consequences…" He clapped his hand over his face, and I scooted forward, resting my head on Al's arm. "I resent you, Dr. Marcoh…"

"What…exactly…?"

"The main ingredient to the Philosopher's Stone…" I whispered, "It's live humans."

"And you don't need one," Ed muttered, "you need several just to refine one stone…"

"I would've never guessed that something so inhumane was going on inside the military," Brosh muttered.

"That's something that can't be forgiven," Ross hissed.

"Can you please not tell anyone about this?" Ed asked.

"But…" Brosh said, dropping down to one knee.

"_Please!_" I begged. "Please…just forget that you heard this."

…

For the days after, we locked ourselves in our hotel room. I was too tired to even consider undressing. I lay on the couch, my back to my brothers, while Ed occupied the couch opposite me, and Al took the floor.

"Brother, Ri," he muttered, "go get something to eat."

"Can't eat…" I whispered, "too sick to think about it…"

"Not hungry," Ed muttered. "This is tough…Right when you get in arms reach, it runs away…And then, when your down, God goes and kicks you in the teeth…"

"We really are damned, aren't we?" I asked.

"Yeah. God wouldn't be pushing us around like this if he didn't." His voice dropped considerably. "I wonder…if we're cursed to be like this for the rest of our lives…"

"Guys?" I asked, very quietly. "There's…there's something I've been meaning to ask you…and I've been way too scared."

"Scared of what?" Ed asked, suddenly alert.

I curled further into a ball. _That you'd hate me… _"That you wouldn't understand…" I whispered.

"What is it?" Al asked.

"I…"

"OPEN UP, ELRICS!"

Oh thank God! Someone up there must truly love me to send the major at the right moment.

"What do we do?" Al asked nervously.

"Ignore him, he'll go aw-"

All of a sudden, Armstrong literally knocked down the door, the handle in his hand. And unfortunately for us…he was accompanied by tears and sparkles. A particularly lethal combination. "I HEARD EVERYTHING!"

Screeching for deliverance, I leapt across the table dividing me from Ed and Al. Cowering behind Ed, I watched the major in horror. "TO THINK THAT SUCH A TERRIFYING SECRET LAY BEHIND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE!"

Ed growled dangerously at Ross and Brosh. "S...sorry," she apologized.

"It's hard to keep secrets when such a smothering person approaches you…" Brosh said.

"To think that the army was doing such a thing…" Armstrong continued. "The truth can be cruel at times..."

I glanced at Ed. _The truth behind the truth…_ That's what Marcoh had said. Ed was voicing my thoughts, even as I thought them.

"The truth behind the truth," I said, "same as the alchemy document. What is seen on the outside is only a portion of the truth."

"Which means there's still something else!" Ed finished for me.

From somewhere (and I didn't want to know where) Armstrong procured a map of Central. "There are currently four alchemic laboratories in Central City. The one Dr. Marcoh belonged to was Lab Three." He pointed to a blocky looking building in the east of Central.

Ed studied the map thoughtfully. "Me and Ri split the four labs between us…"

"Lab Three didn't look out of the ordinary," I said. When I saw the lab, it hadn't looked very different from Lab Four. A bunch of nerds too eager to please a State Alchemist.

Ed pointed to an X-ed out building close to Central Command. "What about this one?"

"That's Lab 5, but it's not opened now," Ross explained. "No one's allowed to enter, due to risk of collapse."

"That's the one."

"And what makes you say that?" I asked snarkily. "Your sparkling personality, or your fantastical intuition?"

He slapped me upside the head, and I resisted the urge to slap him back. "Maybe because there's a _prison_ next to it?" He pointed to the building directly next door to Lab 5, reading _Central Prison._

"And?" Brosh asked, clearly not making the connection.

"You remember what's needed in the Philosopher's Stone," Ed muttered.

"There are bound to be cons on death row in that prison," I pointed out, "They tell the public they were executed, and they ferry them off to Lab 5."

"Don't tell me…" Ross said, looking distinctly green, "the prisoners…are ingredients?"

"Don't make that face," Ed said placating, "I don't like thinking about it either."

"The prison's under military jurisdiction," Al said, "does that mean that the government has something to do with it?"

"I feel like I just stuck my nose into something I shouldn't have…" Ross said, all the greener looking.

"That's why we _told_ you to forget about it!" Al said angrily.

Armstrong rolled up the map, heading for the door. "This may turn into a political matter," he boomed. "I'll look into it. But until the Second Lieutenant and the Sergeant are _not_ to talk of it!"

"Yes sir," they answered, saluting smartly.

"You three better not do anything."

We leapt up. _Had he read our minds?_ I asked myself as he towered over us threateningly.

"_YOU WERE THINKING OF SNEAKING INTO THE BUILDING AND CHECKING IT OUT, WEREN'T YOU?_"

"We weren't!" We squealed, shaking our heads no.

When they left, Ed turned to me, transmuting his bedsheets into a rope. "Ri, I need you to stay here-"

"HELL NO!"

"—Create dummies for ourselves, and _follow_ behind us," he finished, repelling out the window and down to the street below.

"Be careful, Ri!" All called softly, following Ed behind.

Alone, I did as I was told, transmuting a fairly believable Ed and Al dummies, placing Ed's carefully on the bed, under the covers, and Al back on the floor. Transmuting mine last, I placed it haphazardly on the couch, making sure it's face was hidden, and its back was to the door.

"Alright, Ri," I muttered, repelling down the side of the hotel, "just like when you used to sneak out of Teacher's to train with Ed."

Dropping down onto the street, I clapped my hands, wrapping it around the rope. It came apart in my hand, falling (by chance) into a Dumpster.

"I'm never going to have the same luck again…" I muttered, tugging up the hood of my jacket as it began to rain. "Strike the luck part, Ri," I muttered, pounding through the streets as the people who were out at this hour ducked for cover. "And to think that they used to call you 'Jackrabbit'. I thought rabbit's feet were supposed to be _lucky…_"

Movement in the alley I was passing caught my eye. Some scrap metal was moving on its own accord, and I was immediately on edge. "Hello?" I called, stepping into the alley, ready to transmute at a moment's notice.

The scrap moved, apparently getting up, it's 'back' to me, "Hello?" I called again, readying myself.

All of a sudden the scrap metal turned, lashing its fist at me. I gasped in surprise as a surprisingly formed fist collided with the side of my head, bruising the sensitive bone underneath, slamming me into a wall. Whimpering, I slid down the wall, clutching my head.

The rain only increased in force, causing diluted blood (which I surmised came from the back of my head) flood the concrete in swirling, murky patterns, disappearing into the storm drain somewhere in front of me.

I felt a tug at my collar, and I groaned as the thing lifted me up in the air, heedless of being gentle. I stared at it, meeting a pair of soul-fire eyes...

It was Al.

I thrashed my feet around under me, unable to connect with anything, earning a possibly broken toe as my left foot crashed against Al's hip. My hands quickly wrapped around Al's, trying, in vain, to pry him off. "What are you doing!" I choked out, "Where's Ed?"

"You never knew how I feel, Ri," he growled, gripping all the tighter, practically ignoring my question. "I can't smell, can't feel… I can't feel the rain!"

I winced, my attempts at freeing myself weakening steadily as the pounding in my head increased. I started to apologize when Al slammed me back into the wall. A screech formed in my throat, but I bit my tongue, blood gushing down my throat, forcing it down.

"I want to be human again, Ri…" he hissed, "This pain…this pain is _nothing_ compared to what you're feeling now… _nothing_!" He grasped the wrist of my automail, and easily pried it off from around his own wrist, like I was a pesky fly. He glared at it for a moment. "It isn't fair that you and Brother got away with only this and I…you don't deserve this!" Finishing with a roar, he yanked, too hard for the port to compensate. Hot fire, reminding me all too well of the original nerve grafting, flashed through my right shoulder, and I shrieked in agony, my screams filling the alley. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, my arm was finally wrenched from its socket, trailing bits of machinery, multicolored wires, and blue sparks (discharged nerve impulses), which angrily flashed through the air. They burned my face as they struck, sizzling the wet ground wherever they landed.

They burned my face as they struck, sizzling the wet ground wherever they landed. I sobbed aloud, my head spinning, and I was afraid I was going to be sick. Tired of hearing me, Al punched me in the chest, a dull thunk echoed by my sickening grunts and groans of pain.

I don't remember Al stopping. Fists and feet found themselves striking everywhere, my chest, my neck, my legs, my kidneys. It seemed to like he was intent on beating me to death…

But _why_?

After thoroughly brutalizing me, the metallic tang in my mouth most likely caused by blood filling my throat, Al released me. I landed unsteadily on both feet, swaying, clutching at my chest weakly, blood dripping from the corners of my mouth as I coughed. I couldn't even stand straight, and finally, the strength was drained from me. I crumpled to the ground, nearly screaming as I unceremoniously struck the cobblestoned ground. Red water splashed around me, the wires pouring from what was left of my docking port crackling angrily as water connected with it, sending unpleasant jolts of pain through my exposed nerves.

I stared dully up at the crying sky, completely dazed, my vision clouded with pain. I listened to the rain pouring around me, the water around me growing steadily darker as blood pumped from my beaten body, most likely from my head, because my hair felt sticky. I flinched, blinking the crimson water from my eyes, staring horrified at the boy who had cared for me for as long as I could remember as he stood threateningly over me.

Al gently pushed my side with his foot, igniting pain, flipping me over to my back. He followed by resting his foot on my chest, adding slight pressure that ever so slowly increased. My eyes only widened as he pressed harder, evoking a small crack, too loud in the silence. Another crack followed…and another…and another. I tried to scream at him to stop, tried to beg, but I could feel my lungs pooling with my own blood, choking me. Instead of the words I so wanted to say, blood was produced, silkily flowing out of my mouth in a thick, almost constant flow.

Al finally paused, and, even though his face was expressionless, I could see the evil smirk on his non-existent lips, and a murderous look in his normally peaceful soul-fire eyes. Even I could tell that he was fully intent on finishing the job.

…Like in my dream…

"A-Al….stop…please…" came the weak whimper from my frail, broken body. I slowly reached my red-stained hand up to Al, conveying my silent beg for him to stop.

Al grinned at me in only that way I knew he could, lifting my automail. The metal where it broke off was twisted violently, bending and warped in ways it shouldn't. Wires dangled lifelessly in the air, the nerve discharge lost from the frayed ends. God, was Winry going to wrench me to death...

If I lived…

"I…m…n-not ma-aking…" I whispered, blood bubbling to my lips, "…th-he…St…one…" I coughed roughly, blood flying from my parted lips, "y…ou…fu…uckin..g…b-b-bast…ard…"

"That's too bad, _Aveumortis…_" Al cackled. He brought my arm down, the automail crashing against my skull. I screeched, arching off the ground. Through the pain, through the white hot agony that burst like a mini Sun behind my eyes, I still reached up with my blood stained hand, nails ragged and bleeding from clawing at the cobblestones.

But Al was gone.

Finally, my hand crashed besides me, and I passed into the ever-merciful grip of unconsciousness…

* * *

**Muse: I'm sure Ri told you up above, but there was considerable violence in this chapter. Also, I was surfing other fanfictions, and I noticed the part where Al beats the shit out of Ri is remarkably similar to anothers. I'm new here! I had a DeviantART before a Fanfiction! Please don't flame me for great minds thinking alike! That's why I'm apologizing in advance here, so take mercy! If it bothers the author that much, I will rearrange it, so there are no hard feelings.**

**Ri: So review! The button is below!**


	8. Chapter VII: Artificial Feelings

**Good morning my lovelies! I hope your lack of sleep is as lovely as mine! Please, feel free to inform me if there are several gross spelling errors, or grammatical ones. I swear I'll look it over once I have more than five hours of sleep in three days. I hope my cliffhanger for the last chapter was fantastic, and stroked your creativity as to figure out why sweet and innocent little Alphonse would do such a thing? Well...he wouldn't! It was a certain transgender shape-shifting palmtree thingamabob! If that can't be any more answer-giving, I don't know what would! All that's left to say is that**** I really hope I didn't have to say this, but I am no cow-lady, therefore I am not Arakawa-sensei. All I own is $.02, some lint, and, of course, Ericka.**

**Ri: Who, of course, is in no shape or form in love with the bean sprout. Because that's just sick.**

**Ed: I ag-WHO'RE YOU CALLIN SO SMALL HE CAN RIDE AN AMOEBA LIKE A HORSE? YOU HOMICIDAL BASKET CASE!**

**Muse: Moving on! No need to see murder!**

**

* * *

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**Chapter Eight**

**Artificial Feelings**

There were two things I noticed once I began to regain consciousness.

One, I was in so much pain, I nearly vomited. Slowly opening my eyes, I blinked lazily at the ceiling, trying to pull together my memory…

And what I remembered made me wish I was dead.

The second thing I noticed was that there were people talking, and I began picking up pieces of conversation.

"Bad?...bad is bad?"

"…not fatal…broken breastbone, few fractured ribs, small fracture near the top of her skull…Automail needed major repair. I hear her mechanic did the repair?"

I shifted slightly. "Yes." The voice was feminine, and it was distinctly familiar.

"Other injuries?"

"Displaced patella, fractured finger, jammed thumb, and a broken toe."

Someone cursed loudly. "Whoever the hell did this…" the voice, which was male, broke off in angered spluttering.

"How did they find her again?"

"I was patrolling the area, and I found her in an alley."

I groaned, attracting the attention of whoever was in the room with me.

"Ri?" Ed's face surfaced in my fuzzy vision. "Ri, are you alright?"

"Peachy," I grumbled, rubbing my forehead with my left hand. My index and middle fingers were taped together, which seriously pissed me off.

"What the hell happened to you?" Ed growled, gripping my chin to inspect the bruises on my face. "You look like you got into a fight with Al…"

He must've seen the look on my face. He didn't know how on target he was. "Yeah," I muttered, "I guess so."

I sighed, slowly pushing myself up. I felt way too off balance without my arm. Jabbing pain shot through the port. "I thought I heard Winry," I said finally, pressing my left hand against the cold metal with a wince.

"She went to find Al," he said, settling himself into the chair by my bed. Only now did I notice that he was in the same hospital clothes that I was in. His right arm was in a sling.

"What the hell happened to_ you_?" I asked, my voice a little high.

He laughed. "Eh, little problem in Lab 5," he said. "My arm broke halfway through the fight." To emphasize his point, he wiggled his fingers. "I can move the hand, just the elbow's locked." He sobered, poking me in the chest. "And you should talk, little gi-"

"_WHO'RE YOU CALLING A LITTLE GIRL WHO CAN'T EVEN HOLD HER OWN IN A DARK ALLEY FIGHT WITH SOME WALKING SCRAP HEAP?_" I screeched, lurching up in bed. Stars danced along my vision, and I yelped, gripping my head. Note to self: fractured skulls are _not_ fun.

"Ri!" I heard Ross cry. "Be more careful!"

"I know," I muttered, laying back down. Turning to Ed, I asked, "What happened to Lab 5?"

"Lab 5 is rubble," Ed muttered.

"_It's all gone?_" I exploded, lurching upward. Gasping as stars exploded across my vision, I reminded myself: fractured skull. Not fun. "D-dammit…and we were so close to the Truth, too! I can't be sitting in a hospital like this!"

Ross and Brosh, who I had no clue were even in the room, suddenly snapped to attention. "Miss Whitewood Alchemist!" they barked in unison. "We apologize for our rudeness in advance!"

"Rudeness for what…?" I asked. Ed facepalmed with his functioning hand.

Ross's hand flashed, slapping me full across the face. There must've been force, because the next thing I remember, Ed was shaking me awake, howling, "_DIDYA HAVE TO HIT HER SO HARD?_"

Ross, however, was undeterred, "Doing whatever you wanted…if I hadn't found you when I did, you'd be dead!"

Ah…I could remember now. I must've regained consciousness after I had initially passed out. I remember seeing someone in blue by the alley, their gun raised. Something about 'finding a body.'

That's when I whimpered.

The person immediately dashed into the alley with someone else. "Ri!" they had shouted, trying to shake me awake. That only made existing all the more painful, and I let out a bitter sob.

Before I passed out again, I could remember the person trying to staunch the blood flow. "It'll be alright, Ri," they kept murmuring.

"Instead of going off on your own, why don't you rely on the people around you?" Ross's continued, her gaze suddenly softened. "…It wouldn't hurt to trust your elders, would it?"

I merely looked down, feeling like an ass. "That is all!" both of them barked. "Please forgive our rude language and violence towards a higher-ranking officer, ma'am!"

"Higher ranking what?" I asked stupidly. "Um…n-no," I stammered out, "It was my fault."

"Punishment…for the slap, ma'am?" Ross asked.

"No way!" I shouted. Immediately, they looked relieved. "I wouldn't dream of it! But why do you two need to be so formal around me?"

"Being a State Alchemist, you're equivalent in rank to a major," Ross explained, still overly relieved.

"I didn't get my state qualification for something like that," I snapped, before sobering. I was flashing back to the alley, Al standing over my, prepared to end my life. "…You don't need to be so polite to me, either."

"Oh, really?" Ross asked.

"Wow!" Brosh exclaimed. "All those times have been a waste, haven't they?"

"What a quick change…" I muttered. As much as it pained me to say it, I needed to speak with Al. "…where's Al?"

"I told you," Ed said. "Winry went to look for him."

I sighed, standing. Ross immediately moved to put a hand on my shoulder. "I have two legs!" I barked. "And I'll use them." I suddenly moaned. "Oh God…" I muttered glancing once at my repaired port, yet lacking an arm. "Ed…please do me a favor and leave 'Winry Killed Me' on my tombstone?"

"Who?" Brosh asked. "That cute girl who was in here a little while ago?"

"Trust me…cuteness has the bite of a rabid dog…a rabid dog flinging a wrench." Ed moved to help me up, but I waved him up, tottering on my own two feet. "Let me walk to my death alone, thank you."

Limping into the hall, I swore I could hear Winry talking on the phone. _Well, here's to the nine years I stole from Death!_ I thought, making my way to the line of payphones that were around the corner.

"Yeah, I repaired the lost wires," she was saying. "I'm going to replace her arm once she's awake." There was a pause. "She's been out for five days. Enough time for me to start repair on Ed's arm. She's been apologizing to them both."

_I've been apologizing? For what?_ I thought, lingering around the corner. _There's nothing I have to apologize to them for! Except…_ I stepped back against the wall, close to hyperventilating. _No…I didn't say that!_

Slowly backing up, I tried not to flee back into my room. "Did you find her?" Ed asked as soon as I sat back down.

"Huh?" I asked, "She's on the phone. I didn't want to bother her." Yeah, total lie there, Ri.

"Well, you should probably eat," he said, gesturing to the tray of food near my bed. I paled when I saw what was on the plate…

_Meat…_

"…I'm not touching it," I said, averting my gaze.

"Why not?"

"…I _hate_ meat…"

"_This is why you're so damn tiny!_"

"_MEAT HAD A __**FACE! F-A-C-E! **__HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO EAT SOMETHING THAT HAD A FACE?_"

"You're up!" Winry exclaimed. She looked between me and Ed, and sobered. "You're arguing about meat again, aren't you?"

"I am _not_ touching something at was…_something!_" I howled. "It's like eating _Den!_"

"What does that have to do with eating meat?" Ed asked incredulously. "Den is a dog! No one's going to eat a dog!"

"Are cows any different?"

"Yes!"

"How?"

"_Guys!_" Winry shrieked, stopping our argument before it got out of hand. "I know how this is going to get, and Ri, I'd have hit you with a wrench by now if you didn't have a fracture in your skull."

I looked at her, my eyebrow arched.

"Neither of you are in the position to be kicking each other's butts right now, and _certainly_ in the condition."

"I would kick his ass even if I had half the bones in my body broken," I said evenly. "Which, might I add, I already have?"

That was the last thing I remember saying.

The next thing I know, Brosh is holding a particularly irate Winry back by the arms. In one fist, I could she had her wrench (the one _Ed's money _bought her…) and there was blood dripping from it. _Fantastic…a particularly wrench-like wound. Just another thing to add to my numerous injuries… _I thought, watching her through the black haze clouding my vision.

"_Why do you always have to act so STUBBORN?_" she sobbed. "Why?"

I just stared dazedly at Winry, too confused (probably by the additional wrench-related injury) for words.

"Al has been worried _sick_ about you for days. Ed hasn't left your side. I was ready to _kill _you myself if you weren't already almost dead when I got here two days ago!"

"Winry," I said, standing to face her. "I'm sorry I worried you…but I'm not seeing Al."

I could feel Ed's surprised gaze staring holes in my back. "W…why?" she sniffed.

"I'm not seeing him…" I hissed dangerously, "until you give me back an arm. So I can _kick the unliving shit out of him._"

"…Are you sure the doctor said nothing about personality changes?" Ed asked Ross, sounding worried for his brother's safety. And God willing, he'd better worry. Because I'm not going to leave a _scrap_ of metal behind once I'm done with him.

"This isn't a personality change, Ed!" I shouted at him. "Winry, just…give me back my arm. I need to _talk_ to Al…_alone…_"

"No way!" Ed shouted. "I'm not leaving my brother with a homicidal maniac!"

"_I'll show you 'homicidal'…_" I growled, advancing on Ed.

As Ed threw up his hands to defend, the door behind me opened and shut. "Good to see things are back to normal," Al laughed.

"RUN AL!" Ed shrieked. "SHE'S GONNA KILL YOU!"

"Kill me?"

"_Kill is the last of your worries, Alphonse!_" I howled, leaping at him in a flurry of flashing feet and…well…fist.

"HOW…_DARE_…YOU…BEAT…ME…HALF…TO…DEATH…WITH_…MY…OWN…ARM?_" I shrieked in between flashes of my fist clanging against Al's head. Pain flashed through my hand, but I didn't care. He couldn't feel. But I swear I was going to make his soul _feel _it.

Silence reigned, leaving the only sound my fist hitting his skull. My hand was beginning to bruise with each blow, but I was too busy sobbing to care.

"Why…" I whispered, cradling my hand to my chest. "_Why?_"

"Ri…" Al whispered softly, reaching down to touch me.

My fist lashed out again, gripping Al's helm, and ripping it off his shoulders. It was only me, Ed, and Winry in the room, but I could honestly care less as his emptiness was exposed. I slammed his head against the floor. "ANSWER ME!" I roared. "We said we weren't making the Stone, you bastard! And you nearly cave my skull in? _What the hell is wrong with you?_"

"That's enough!" Ed growled, gripping me by the front of my shirt. "How could you suggest that Al did this to you?"

"Maybe because _it was him!_"

Ed's had flashed out, slapping me full across the face. Winry gasped in horror. Al let out a tiny whimper. I just stood there, dumbstruck. My head remained in the direction it had been slapped in. Yeah, me and Ed's fights had gotten to the point of drawing blood. But _never_ had he slapped me. A part of me wanted to run away. Another, more dominant part chose to clench my hand into a fist, and _slam it into his nose…_

Ed cried out, and, at once, Winry was holding me back for a change. He glanced up at me, his hand cupped over his nose. I stared in horror down at my fist. It was stained red. _With Ed's blood. _I felt sick to my stomach. The color seeped from the room, leaving everything in harsh black and white. The world seemed to spin, turning my stomach. I gagged, gripping the front of my shirt. The metallic tang of blood filled my nose, and I closed my eyes against the overbearing pain.

"_I seemed to have overlooked an important soul, Miss Al-che-mist," _Truth murmured in my ear. _"Or should I say…Miss Aveumortis…"_

I let out a bitter sob, and collapsed into free darkness.

…

The numbed pain in my right arm made me whine once I was aware of myself again. My memory was muddled. What happened? Had I fallen? I groaned, touching a hand to my forehead. "What the hell happened…"

"I slapped you," Ed murmured from somewhere off to the side. "You decked me, broke my nose, and passed out." He reached out to touch my cheek, but I flinched, the skin still burning from the slap. He withdrew his hand, only to replace it a second later with something cooler. Glancing at him, I realized it was his automail this time, soothing the raw skin. I sighed.

"Well, I'm the one who should be apologizing," I muttered, "not for saying what I said to Al. Because I'm positive it was him." He looked like he was about to argue, so I cut him off. "I'm sorry for breaking your nose."

He touched the bandage absently, before grinning, "Nothing I can't handle!" His grin softened, and he gently ran his thumb over the curve of my cheekbone. God, how I missed these sibling moments…

Which were ruined by a _certain someone…_

"Hey Ed!" Hughes called, smirking. "I hear you and our little Ri are sharing a room!"

I jerked back so fast, stars danced in front of my eyes. "DAMMIT MAN!" I howled. "WE'RE JUST _FRIENDS!_"

"Wow…" he said thoughtfully, cupping his chin. "So you were sweet-talked by your friend?"

"WHY IS IT EVERYTHING I SAY IS TAKEN DIFFERENTLY?" I slid back onto the pillows, willing the room to stop spinning. "Won't you get in trouble for ditching work?"

"I left Sheska with overtime!"

"What are you, a demon?" Ed asked.

"I just swung by to drop this off for Ri," he said with a smirk, handing me a small stuffed bear. "When Elicia heard you were in the hospital, she bought this for you with her own money! Isn't she the sweetest?"

"Thanks, Hughes," I said with a small smile, placing the bear off to the side. Why was I getting so nostalgic? The thing was so insignificant, but it had to go and remind me of the small stuffed animals I used to keep in my room? Damn, maybe Ed was right about those personality changes…

He left, saying something about meeting Winry downstairs, leaving me and Ed alone again for the morning. He was glaring intently at his breakfast, while I picked at mine. Al was sitting off to the side. "So, you're here again, you bastard?" Ed growled, glaring at the glass bottle of opaque liquid.

"Ed, it's milk," I said, holding up my already half-empty bottle for him to see. "It's not gonna kill you."

"You've got a body, Ed," Al said, a little bitterly, "you need to take care of it…"

Ed gnawed at his bread while I picked selectively at my meal. Apparently the term 'vegetarian' didn't exist in this damn hospital… "I can't help that I don't like it!" Ed shouted. "I'm actually growing, despite how I look. But everyone calls me puny…"

"Because you are," I smirked, chewing thoughtfully over a celery stick.

"I'm taller than you!"

"By all of half an inch!"

Ed sighed. "You've got it easy, Al. You're already so big…"

There was a crash, making me jump uncomfortably. "I didn't become like this because I wanted to!" he shouted.

"M-my bad," Ed murmured. "It's already my fault that we're like this."

"Ed…" I muttered, clenching my hands into tight fists. _My blood. My fault. _"_IT'S NEITHER OF YOUR FAULTS!_" I roared, shocking even Winry, who was standing just outside. I glared at Al. "Don't you _dare_ start self-loathing. Don't you _damn well _dare!"

"How am I supposed to do any self-loathing in this body, _Ericka,_" he hissed at me. "Memories are information, once you really think about it!"

"What are you getting at, _Alphonse,_" I growled, advancing on him.

"What if the night of our so called 'transmutation' my 'brother' just made me like this?" he shouted, directly in my face. "You said last week that there was something you wanted to say. And you were too scared. Maybe you wanted to say what _he_ didn't want to!" He pointed at Ed, making my blood boil.

"Is that all you've got to say?" I growled out. I glanced at Ed, who was just sitting there. I sniffed disdainfully, shoving passed Winry and out into the corridor. How could Al even think that he was artificial? I remember playing with him when we were kids!

…That was before he was cold enough to try and kill me.

I found myself up on the roof, glancing down over Central. The view was pretty nice, and the cool spring breeze was nice enough. But it still wasn't enough to cool down my temper.

"Winry told us," Ed said softly from behind me. I didn't even bother to turn. "What you said…the first night of the surgery."

"_It's all…all my fault. It was my blood…my blood we mixed. Information was all wrong…Now Al's in that body. He can't eat, can't sleep, can't feel…and Ed…he lost Mom again. And Al…he lost Al all because of me! They hate me now!"_

I stared hopelessly down at my open palms.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"_I want to tell them…I'm too scared. Too scared!_"

"Well?" I asked instead. "Do you?"

"Do I what?" he asked, resting his chin on top of my head, cautious to keep as little pressure off it as possible.

"..Ha-"

"Brother, Ri…" Al whispered from somewhere behind us. He sounded sorrowful, but I was still distrusting.

I pulled away from Ed, kicking off my slippers. "Now that I think of it," I muttered. "We haven't sparred in a while. And I don't wanna get rusty in case I get, oh I don't know…_bludgeoned in an alley._"

"Ri, I swear it wasn't m-" I didn't give him time for hapless apologies. I'd already caught his head between both my feet, and flung him over my shoulders. Ed slid at me from the side, attempting to upset my balance, but I turned, flipping easily back onto my feet, and leaping over him as he slid into Al, messing his balance again.

"W-wait a second!" Al squealed, blocking a kick from Ed and a particularly nasty cross from me. "Your wounds! They'll open up again!"

I paid no heed as I fed all my anger into my next blow, knocking Al's head clean off his shoulders with a kick from my automail. While he was still stunned, I flipped onto my hands, using his body as a springboard. I landed on the railing, maintaining perfect balance, and easily rammed my foot into Al's back. He tripped with a squeal of metal, toppling on top of Ed. Uncaring of any injuries, I leapt on top of Al, standing triumphantly.

"I won," I barked, stepping off, heading back to where my slippers lay. "For the first time, I beat you _both_." I flopped onto the ground, laying with by head between Ed and Al's.

"That wasn't fair, Ri," Al complained. "You knocked my head off!"

"Here," I mumbled, handing over his head.

"She's Ri," Ed said with a laugh, "she never fights fair."

I smiled softly, closing my eyes. "We sure did fight a lot, didn't we?"

"Yeah," Ed and Al echoed.

"Now that I think of it…we fought for the dumbest reasons…"

"Like who took a bath first?" Ed laughed. "It was a tossup between you and Al, because you're so damn fast."

"Or who got to sleep on the top bunk," Al said. "I think I won most of those."

"Or who got the biggest slice of my pie," I said with a smile, "I think Al won all of those, because he was always the one helping me make it."

"We fought by Raine River," Ed mused. I flinched at the mere memory of that watery death trap. "Al, you pushed me in, didn't you?"

"No, you pushed Ri off the tire swing into the river."

"We fought during our training, too," I quickly interrupted.

"That's a draw," Ed said, "Teacher always beat the crap out of us for being 'insufferable.'"

"You two used to fight over who would marry Winry," I pointed out with a smirk.

"I don't remember that!" Ed shouted.

"Winry turned us both down," Al reminded, "She also said that you and Ri would end up together, since you two always tend to get violent near each other."

"_Moving on!_" I said hurriedly, hoping I wasn't blushing as bad as I thought I was.

"…Ri, you need to believe me," Al said. "I didn't do it. When you broke your leg when you were twelve, who carried you in the rain back to East City?"

"…You."

"When you were sick when you were eight?"

"…You."

"And what about when you and Brother got into that massive fight a few months ago? Who found the both of you, sat you down, and made you talk it out?"

"…I'm sorry," I finally muttered, my cheeks ablaze.

"Al, you remember all that stuff you did for Ri," Ed murmured, "are you seriously going to tell me your existence is a lie?"

"I'm sorry, Ed," he muttered. "We want to return to our bodies, no matter what it takes."

"So are you saying that those feelings are artificial too?" I asked.

"No."

"Good, because we _are _getting your body back." I held up my automail, clenched into a tight fist, and rammed it into the two adjoining fists behind me.

"We'll keep moving forward!" Al said.

"Because if we move forward, we'll get stronger," Ed added, "both mentally and physically."

"And what about milk?" Al asked.

"Egh…okay! I'll drink it!"

"Ri, what about meat?" I could feel Al's gaze burrowing into my brain.

"Vegetarian," I pointed out. "Not eating animal. In any size or shape."

Ed and Al laughed at this. "Let's just focus on getting stronger," Ed said.

"Yeah," me and Al said. As we got up, I nearly toppled over. Al laughed, placing his palm on Ed's back as he limped, and carried me in one arm.

"How about we focus on standing upright first?" I asked. "Then we can start worrying about getting stronger…"

* * *

**There you have it! Unfortunately, Ed and Ri aren't here to play us out, due to them being off...**

**Al: Killing each other in the back. Maybe I should...**

**Muse: _Stay_...**

**Al: Yes ma'am!**

**Muse: Good boy! Now, remember kiddies...MORE REVIEWS EQUALS MORE CHAPTERS! I'M NOT WRITING A STORY THAT DOESN'T GET REVIEWS! THE DANG BUTTON'S RIGHT BELOW! (Hears blood shed in the background) Al? Be a dear and make sure they're not...ripping limbs off?**

**Al: Oh no...not again!**

**Muse: Good ni-sorry, _morning_, folks! AND REVIEW!  
**


	9. Chapter VIII: Miracle at Rush Valley

**Another upload! I must have no life during the summer! Shocking for me, yes I know. Anywho, let's roll with the story! **** I really hope I didn't have to say this, but I am no cow-lady, therefore, I am not Arakawa-sensei. All I own is $.02, some lint, and of course, Ericka.**

**Ri: Do you really need to pair me with him? *Points to Ed***

**Muse: You love him deep down, trust me. You'll realize it later. *Grin***

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Nine**

**Miracle at Rush Valley  
**

"…And I don't remember anything after being kicked by this guy," Ed was saying, pointing to a picture of what looked like a walking palm tree. I sat on the foot of his bed, scratching the back of my neck.

" 'Guardians with souls', 'precious human sacrifices', and 'being kept alive'," Hughes echoed. " 'Tattoos of the Orouboros', and 'transmutation circle for the Philosopher's Stone'."

While he counted off what Ed had said, I stared down at the table before me. On it were notes, and drawing of what Ed had seen in Lab 5.

"According to Dr. Marcoh," Hughes continued, "the Philosopher's Stone was used in Ishval as well."

"There are too many mysteries for this to be a normal experiment," Armstrong mused.

"I would like to look into it more, but the lab is in ruins now."

I groaned. "And I never got to see it. Thanks to something that dressed up like Al and tried to kill me!"

"We might be able to find something if we look through the court-martial records," Hughes said.

"I'll go and investigate the ones who were participating in the research of the Stones under Dr. Marcoh," Armstrong boomed.

There was a knock on the door. I growled. "I thought we told you…_eep…_"

The man standing at the door was not Ross or Brosh. It was a man in his fifties, with an eye patch over his right eye. Medals decorated his uniform, and a scabbard hung at his right hip.

"Sorry to intrude," the Fuhrer said, holding up his hand. Armstrong and Hughes saluted so fast, their arms were a blur.

"F-Fuhrer President King Bradley!" they greeted at the same time.

"At ease, gentlemen," he said merrily.

"Your Excellency," Hughes stammered, "may I ask why you're here?"

"Why I'm here?" he echoed, staring down at me and Ed. "I'm here to visit you two, of course." He held out a basket with a melon in it. "I hope you like melon."

"Um, thank you…" Ed said, turning to me, "There's something wrong here!"

"No duh!" I shouted back, before looking pointedly at the melon. "…You gonna eat that?" It was the only non-meat object I'd seen in a week.

"Seems like you've been doing a lot of investigating of the military leadership, Major Armstrong," the Fuhrer said.

"Huh?" Armstrong choked out. "Well…yes…How did you…"

"Don't underestimate my intelligence network." He glanced down at me, studying the bandages wrapped around my forehead. "And you, Ericka Celtix…you were supposed to be in a coma, were you not?"

I paled. The way he phrased it, it was like he expected me to be in a coma…

"Edward Elric…the Philosopher's Stone, correct?" he asked, turning his attention to Ed now. "How much do you and your friend know? Depending on that, I might have to…"

We fell silent. I had my hands clenched, prepared to fight.

And that's when he laughed. "I'm joking!" the Fuhrer laughed. "No need to get tense!"

"W-wha…?"

"I, too, was aware of disquieting activities within the military. I've always wanted to do something about them, but…" He reached down, flipping through the papers on the table in front of us. "A list of the people researching the Philosopher's Stone? Every one of them have been reported missing."

"_What?_"

"They have been reported missing a few days prior to the destruction of Lab 5. The enemy is always one step ahead of us. Even with my intelligence network, we don't know the scale of it all, their objectives, or how close they are to achieving them."

"So you're saying it's extremely dangerous for us to look into it," Hughes said.

"That's right," the Fuhrer answered, placing the papers back down on the desk. "Lieutenant Colonel Hughes, Major Armstrong, Elrics… I've decided you're all trustworthy people. I'm forbidding you from researching this matter, or disclosing this information to others! You cannot trust anyone in this sort of situation, when you cannot even distinguish friend from foe. Regard the military as your foe and proceed carefully!" His stoic face lifted, and he was smiling again. "However…when the time comes, I will have many tasks for all of you. So be prepared!"

"Yes, sir!" Armstrong and Hughes answered.

Outside, we could hear what surely was the Fuhrer's protection detail calling for him.

"Drats, here comes my detail," he groaned, heading towards the opened window. "I did sneak out of my office, after all. Farewell!" The Fuhrer leapt, dropping to the grass just outside, and headed in the opposite direction with his arms folded behind his back.

"Hey, Ed!" Winry shouted from somewhere behind us. We slowly turned. "What are you guys doing?"

"Let's just say…a storm just blew in…" he muttered.

"Well, I went out and bought the tickets you asked for," she said, handing over the folds of paper to Ed. "This afternoon's train, right?" She glanced at me scathingly. "Ri, are you supposed to be leaving the hospital today?"

I smirked. "It'll take more than a skull fracture to keep me down!" I crossed my arms triumphantly…

When a wrench flew at me.

"Thanks, Winry," Ed said hurriedly, keeping me more or less grounded as I swayed on my feet.

"Why are you in such a rush?" Armstrong asked, "Your wounds aren't even healed yet."

"I'm sure another one just opened up…" I moaned.

"I can't stay in a place reeking of antiseptics—"

"Or doesn't even cater to vegetarians," I piped in.

"—forever!"

"Where are you going this time?" Hughes asked, glancing at one of the tickets that Winry held. "Dublith?"

"Yeah," Ed said with a grin, draping an arm around my shoulder, and patting Al on the back. "After some discussion, we decided to stop by our Teacher's place."

"_What!_" I squealed, leaping into Al's arms. We were both shaking so hard, I felt my teeth rattle. "No way! I like living! I enjoy it! I'm not walking to my grave!"

"I'm scared, Brother," Al whimpered.

"_WE'RE GONNA DIE!_" I wailed.

"C-courage, guys!" Ed stammered. "I'm just as scared as you are!"

"What kind of person is your teacher?" Winry asked.

"Dublith is pretty far out," Armstrong muttered, taking out his trusty map. "It's right in the middle of the Southern Area."

Winry had such a panic attack as she stared at the map, that all three of us jumped backwards. "What is it?" Ed asked.

"This place!" she squealed, pointing to the city right above Dublith. "Right here! The Holy Land of automail, Rush Valley! I've always wanted to go there!" She turned to Ed. "_Takemetakemetakeme!_"

"Geez, Winry," I said, scratching the back of my head, "why don't you go by yourself?"

"And who's gonna pay for the trip?"

"I have no money!" I lied. "Ed, you pay!"

"Don't lie, Ri!" Winry shouted, pointing a finger at my already packed trunk, where my stupid wallet and pocket watch sat. "You have more money in your wallet then I've ever seen in a year!"

"So you _raided _my wallet?" I turned to Ed threateningly. "_You let her raid my wallet?_"

"I wasn't letting her raid mine!" Ed growled, pointing a finger at me.

"_I WAS IN A DAMN COMA AND YOU LET HER __**RAID MY WALLET!**_"

"Brother, Ri," Al said peaceably, "why doesn't she come with us? It's on the way, after all."

"Fine," Ed muttered.

"Yay!" she squealed. "I'm going to go give Granny a call!"

Hughes sighed, clapping both of us on the back. "You two will make a fine couple, one day."

"_Don't start with that again!_" I screeched, flushing.

"But not as fine as me and my wife!"

"_Leave!_" Ed howled, pointing at the door. Hughes walked out, a spring in his step.

I glanced at Ed, seeing an identical blush on his face. "Where does he get off on that?" I asked. "Me and you? Not possible."

"Yeah," Ed agreed. "Not possible."

We quickly changed and met Winry at the station. I kept most of the bandages on, much to Ed's dismay, because my hand still hurt like hell, and I wanted to be at least marginally comfortable. Mrs. Hughes, Elicia, Brosh, Ross, and Armstrong showed us off.

The train sped ahead, heading south. "Why do you three want to go see your teacher all of a sudden?" Winry asked.

"Two reasons," Ed said. "First off, we've been on a losing streak."

"What? You're going because you want to get _stronger? _What are you guys, muscleheads?"

"I take offense to that!" I piped up. "It's not that simple. What happens if we meet the guy who kicked the crap out of me in that alley? I'm not about to get my ass kicked a second time."

"Besides," Ed said, "we don't want to just get stronger physically, but we should mentally as well. Right?" He glanced across at Al and me.

"Yeah," we answered.

"Anyway, we feel we'll get stronger if we visit our teacher. And, like Ri said…I don't want my ass kicked a second time." He stared back out the window.

"And your second reason?" Winry asked.

"I want to ask about the Philosopher's Stone."

"The truth behind the truth," I said, "We never did find out the reasoning behind those words. Teacher might know something about it."

"We're going to ask Teacher…while dying," Ed muttered, wiping the sweat off his forehead. He whimpered. "It was a short-lived life, wasn't it?"

"I wish I could've had a girlfriend, at least…" Al moaned.

"I wish we had a _normal_ life," I muttered, resting my head against Al's arm.

…

The next morning, Winry showed us what was in the basket she carried with her on the train…

Apple pie.

"This is amazing!" I said, holding my piece in a napkin on my lap.

"Miss Gracia sure is a good cook," Winry said, looking happily at the three of us. "Ri, this is almost as good as your pie!"

I blushed at the praise. I can't remember the last time I made apple pie for Ed or Al. It was definitely before the transmutation.

"The quiche she made for us once was really good," Ed pointed out.

"It's on my list of things to eat when I get my body back!" Al piped up, already jotting down 'Winry's Apple Pie' below 'Ri's Apple Pie' on the top of one list.

"Maybe we can exchange recipes," Winry said to me, "because if Miss Gracia's apple pie is good, and yours is good, we can make a really good apple pie!"

I blushed again. "Maybe," I teased, "but my secret ingredient is the blood of my enemies."

That earned a laugh.

"Miss Gracia and Mr. Hughes are both wonderful people," Winry said, smiling.

"Hughes is such a doting father…" Ed grumbled, "and annoying because he's so meddlesome."

"He always comes to poke fun of you two, doesn't he?" Al said, looking between me and Ed. At once, I became _extremely interested _in my pie.

"Seriously," Ed said with a small smile, "but he was still bogged down with work, and he still came every day to see us. We have to thank him next time."

"Yeah," I agreed, feeling the most uncomfortable feeling come over me. It was cold, like a bunch of ice cubes had settled in the pit of my stomach. The last time I felt something like that, someone had died.

I glanced out the window, watching the sun set, unable to shake the uncomfortable feeling.

…

Okay. I know it was south of Central. But no one warned me it'd be so damn _hot…_ And Winry was practically foaming at the mouth as she squealed over some new model of automail. At once, I glanced down at my right arm, wondering what she was going to attach to me or Ed.

"This place is packed," Ed groaned, "who wants to look at automail when it's hotter than two chimeras mating in a boiler room?"

"Dammit, Ed!" I shouted, slapping him upside the head, "No need to get descriptive!"

"No need to bash my head in!"

"We should've just left Winry and gone straight to Dublith!" I complained, tying my jacket around my waist.

"Hey, do you have a moment?" some weird guy asked, hastily unwrapping the bandages tied around my right arm. "This automail is a very rare make!"

I looked at Ed, who was being practically mauled by mechanics. "Cut it out!" I growled, elbowing some old guy who was getting a little too close to my pants for comfort. "_Hey! N-not there! GET YOUR HANDS AWAY, CREEP!_"

The next thing I know, I'm standing next to Ed in my underwear.

"Everyone's so eager to learn!" Winry said with a sweet smile.

"_GET YOUR DAMN HANDS OFF OF ME!_" I howled, transmuting a legion of white vines, tossing all wandering-hands mechanics away. I growled, muttering under my breath as I tossed Ed his pants and belt. "_Damn,_" I muttered, bending over to retrieve my pants, shaking them free of dust. "What the hell is _wrong_ with these people? They act like they never saw automail before…" I pulled my pants up over my hips, picking at a rip that caught in the crack of one of the plates of my automail. "This is why I can't stand mech…"

Oh no. No no no no no no _no…_

My hands flew over my pockets: back, front, left, right. I even turned them inside out several times. "This isn't good…" I muttered.

I glanced over at Ed, who was just as pale as me. "Ed…do you have…"

"Do you have mine?" he interrupted, already moving to dig his hands around in my pockets. I swatted his hands away.

"Keep them to yourselves, buddy!" I barked. "If I don't have mine, then I obviously don't have yours!"

"What are you guys going on about?" Winry asked.

"Uh…our tickets to identifying ourselves as State Alchemists," I said with a nervous laugh.

"Our silver pocket watches…" Ed finished for me. "Yeah…we can't find 'em."

"So you two were hit by Paninya, too?" the same mechanic who brought attention to my arm said.

"Paninya?" we echoed at the same time.

"She's a pickpocket who goes after tourists," he clarified.

"Any idea where she is?" Ed asked hurriedly.

"Please! It's important!" I begged.

"I wouldn't mind telling you…" the mechanic said, leering at my automail. "But in exchange…let me see your automail one last…"

I transmuted my arm into a blade, scowling so deeply, I thought it would stay like that. "_WHERE…IS…SHE?_"

"At an automail mechanic's named Dominic's!"

Thanking them tersely, I stalked down the street, heading in the direction the petrified mechanic had pointed out. Ed was keeping pace with me, just as furious as me…

Well, my fury lasted until we were deep into Rush Valley. That's when I became miserable. "Who the hell has a shop all the way out here…" I whined, dragging the back of my hand across my forehead.

"They said he lives out here because you can find high-quality ore, but…" Winry groaned, "this is the right path…right? They didn't trick us, did they?"

"If they did…" I growled, "I'll make sure to leave nothing left!"

"It's your fault for wanting to come to this city in the first place," Ed accused.

"_Getting your stupid pocket watches stolen was your own fault!_" Winry shouted right back.

"Shut up!" Ed howled. I was way too tired to argue, so I let my gaze wander…

Where I saw a tall looking woman with brown skin and dark hair running across a bridge. She was wearing a black tank top and green fatigues. And hanging from her fingers idly were two silver pocket watches.

"_GET BACK HERE, YOU THIEF!_" I shrieked, leaving my trunk and jacket behind. I was just a few yards away from the woman, before she grinned, and continued forward. Behind me, I could hear the telltale sounds of transmutation.

The ground beneath my feet destabilized, and I pitched forward as the arid earth formed a stepping stone, Ed following behind with a crazed look in his eye. "Dammit, Ed!" I shouted, watching the cliff side start to crumble. "You're gonna cause a rockslide!"

"If I get our watches back, it's worth it!" he shouted back, transmuting again. This time, it was a gigantic wrapping wall, sealing off either end of the valley.

I dashed up to Ed, dropping to a crouch, transmuting as many white vines as I dared without further destabilizing the cliff. "Just give them back," I said, trying to sound as peaceable as I dared with Ed right next to me. "They're important to us."

"You're amazing!" she said. "What the heck are you guys?"

"_ALCHEMISTS!_" I howled, urging the transmutation further. Ed, who was even more enraged than me (for once), transmuted more hands then I could count. They lurched at the woman, knocking my vines out of the way. They were already destabilized from the transmutation Ed had pulled before. Now, with practically no organic material, my vines crumbled back into stone.

"Ed!" I shouted after him. He was already out of earshot, chasing Paninya back the way we came. "DAMMIT ED! STAY IN ONE PLACE FOR MORE THAN TWO SECONDS!" I dashed after him.

"Hey, you're pretty fast!" the woman said with a wide smile as I quickly overtook Ed, leaping onto the outcropping of stone that she was standing on. Before I could make a move to grab her, she darted to the left, dropping to the ground on the other side of a tree…

_Tree…_

I grinned. Bingo.

Below, I could hear Al say something to Paninya. I quickly clapped my hands, pressing them against the bark of the tree. Gigantic vines shot out, wrapping around the bird cage Al had transmuted around Paninya. "Nice going, Al!"

Al grinned up to me, "And to think I didn't think you'd be able to transmute with all this dust," he said, patting me on the head once I jumped down.

I grinned at him as Ed rounded the corner, out of breath. "Well done," he said with a smirk. "Now…what do you say about giving them back now?"

All at once, the bars exploded outward. Paninya grinned at us, holding up her right leg to view. A long, curving blade greeted us. "It's not really a rare sight, is it?" she said with a smirk. "Considering where you are." She placed that leg on the ground, bent her other leg to us…

"_DUCK AND COVER!_" I shrieked, rolling to the left as a burst of energy ripped towards us, knocking Ed onto his back, and Al's head clean off his shoulders.

"A 1.5 inch carbine in my left leg," she laughed, running again. "Catch me if you can!"

She came to a shaky halt as Winry grabbed her, pulling her off balance. "Don't even try to escape!" she said with a smirk.

"Good work, Winry!" Ed shouted. "Don't let her go!"

"I won't let her go…_until I examine her automail!_"

I glanced at Ed condescendingly, gesturing to Winry. "Tell me…what do you see in her?" I asked.

Well, that certainly earned a quite spectacular head slap, accompanied with a ringing sensation in both ears, dancing stars, and the urge to say, "No, I didn't drive the go-kart into the pudding."

When Winry finally let up, Ed dragged me into the shop directly in front of us, where we were greeted by a young couple. I groaned, pressing the ice pack the man was nice enough to supply against the back of my head, and listened to Winry drone on…and on…and on…

"Ri, you have to let me rebalance your leg like Paninya's!" she squealed suddenly.

"Not in hell, sister," I shot back. "I'm done growing. I'm not having you play mad scientist with my bod—"

_Seriously. _What the _hell_ is it with people slapping the injured one?

"_Skull fracture!_" I shouted once I could see. "Seriously! I'm going to have a permanent break in my head from the two of you!"

"Um…about the watches…" Ed tried. But Winry was a little too busy having another freak out session on Paninya's automail.

"It's no use, Brother," Al said.

"Unless you want to try to drag her away," I said, "then you might end up in a worse case than me."

"You have my deepest respect for being able to make such automail!" Winry was gushing at the man who gave me the ice pack.

"No, I'm not the one who made it," he said, holding up his hands pleadingly.

"It's mine."

The man who stood in the doorway across from us had a hard look in his eyes. He wasn't as tall as Armstrong, but he certainly had the muscles to compete.

He glanced down at me and Ed, and the next thing I know, I'm blushing like a maniac, sitting in my underwear (again), with this creepy old dude touching my automail.

"Isn't it a bit heavy for you?" he asked.

"I guess…" I answered.

"It's not good to put so much strain on the recipient," he rumbled, crossing his arms. "Maybe that's why this girl's so little."

"_DON'T CALL ME LITTLE!_" I howled, before it clicked with me. "Wait a second! If I get lighter automail, does that mean I'll grow taller?"

"Depends," he said, "did you start your menstrual cycle?"

I let out a yelp, caught off guard by the question again. "Dammit! Screw biology!" I shouted, tossing my hands up.

Ed, however, was beside himself with happiness. Knowing him, he was envisioning himself ten feet tall.

"Mr. Dominic!" Winry shouted. "Make me your apprentice!"

"No can do," he said roughly.

"Can't you give it a little more thought?" I asked, glancing at him. "She's really good—"

"Shut up," he growled. "I don't take apprentices."

"Can you take her so that she can learn how to build automail that'll make me grow?" Ed asked, still on his happiness high.

"Shut up, flea."

With that, Ed went to mope in the corner. I stood as Dominic left the room, slamming the door behind him. I tossed Ed's clothes to him as I took mine from Al. "Ed, how can you be so comfortable in your underwear in front of people?" I asked idly as Winry was talking to Dominic's son.

"I guess embarrassment is just a girl thing," he answered with a shrug.

I glanced down at myself. Alright, we've got a girl who's five-one, pretty okay in the boob department, flat stomach, those tiny ninja muscles that I prided myself on, and practically no fat. So what was there to be so embarrassed about? Most girls needed to starve themselves to get a skinny as me, while I needed to work my ass off for it.

"I guess you're right," I said with a sigh, tugging on my pants.

Ed snickered, pinching my cheek in that way that reminded me of old ladies. "Don't worry," he said with an evil little grin, "you'll still be cute and adorable at twenty while I'll be five-ten."

"Cute," I said with a glare, slapping his hand away while I tugged on my shirt. "Flea."

Al glanced at me while Ed returned to his mopey self, repeating "Flea" every ten seconds. "Was that necessary, Ri?" he asked, dragging Ed by the collar down the hall.

"Flea…" Ed moaned.

"Would you rather I bit his hand off for calling me cute and adorable and pinching my cheek?" I asked.

"Flea…"

"Ri, no matter how much you try to brush it off, you _are_ cute and adorable," he said, ruffling my hair with his free hand. "In that…evil bunny kind of way."

"Flea…"

"Oh, so now I'm an evil bunny."

"Flea…"

"_Shut up!_" I growled.

Al stopped. We were in a separate room. There was a book case on our right, and Dominique's son's wife was sitting in the chair. Sera, I think her name was. She was rubbing her stomach fondly.

"That's…a baby, right?" Al asked tentatively.

"That's right," she answered with a smile.

"Can I feel your stomach?" I asked, just as tentative. Being the youngest in Resembool, I don't think I ever felt any of my friend's mother's stomach's when they were pregnant.

"Sure!" she said, moving her hand away.

I pressed my flesh hand lightly against Sera's stomach. To think that a separate life was beating there. I glanced up at Ed, who had come out of his gloom, and was kneeling next to me. Al had already placed his hand on Sera's stomach as well, beside himself in joy. Reaching back to Ed, I wrapped my free hand around his flesh hand, and guided it next to mine.

"It's kinda mysterious," he said, glancing at me. "To think that we were in our mother's womb like this, too…"

Sera smiled, before she let out a tiny grunt, her face contorting in pain. "Are you alright?" I asked worriedly, withdrawing my hand.

"Y-yeah," she stammered.

I nodded and stood, rubbing at my right shoulder with a loud groan. "This is why I hate the rain," I complained, glancing out the window. "I feel like an old lady with these stupid achy joints…"

Sera let out another groan. "Oh no…the baby…" she said softly.

"GET WINRY! GET SOMEONE! _GET A DOCTOR!_"

Al immediately helped Sera to her room, while I took off with Ed. We found Winry ready to knock on Dominic's door.

"What's wrong, you two?" she asked.

"B-b-ba…" I whimpered.

"Being b-bo…" Ed choked out.

"…Bingo?" Winry asked.

"B-ba…" I tried again.

"What about bingo?"

"B…B…MISS SERA SAYS THE BABY'S COMING!"

Winry quickly roused Dominic, and told him what was happening. He quickly pulled on a rain coat. "We can't take her to a hospital in the city in this weather," he said. "I'll run over and bring a doctor."

He quickly left on a horse, moving faster than I'd ever seen anyone go. We went back to Sera's room, where her husband was trying to console her. "Don't worry," he said, "my old man'll be back here in no time."

She muttered something. "What? I didn't get that."

She muttered it again, and we all leaned in closer.

"_I SAID THE BABY'S COMING!_" she howled.

"What are we going to do?" Ed freaked. "There's no doctor around!"

Winry glanced at me, and I nodded. "We have to do it!" we said at the same time.

"Do what?" Ed asked.

"The delivery, stupid," I said, shrugging off my jacket and tying an apron around my waist.

"_WHAAAAT?_"

"Do you have experience delivering a baby?" Sera's husband asked.

"I was in charge of the medical texts," I said, "I know the theory."

"So do I, so it'll have to do!" Winry said. She tied an apron around her waist as well. "Ed, Al, you two boil some water."

"Got it!" they barked.

"Paninya, go and get all the towels you can find!" I barked, pinning my hair away from my face.

"R-roger!" she said, running off.

"Mr. Reid, do you have any rubbing alcohol?" Winry asked.

"In the storeroom," he said, holding his wife's hand.

"I'll go get it!" I offered, running off in the direction of the storeroom. On the way, I passed Ed carrying the biggest basin of hot water I'd ever seen, and Paninya dwarfed by a pile of towels. I quickly retrieved the bottle of rubbing alcohol, feeling faint.

_Hot water, towels, alcohol…_ I thought, thinking back to those books I'd devoured for too many years to count. _C'mon, Ri…_ I rested my head against a wall, listening to Sera's echoing screams. _C'mon! Don't be useless like this! What else is there to do?_

"Ri," Ed said softly from behind me. He rested his chin on my head, and wrapped his arms around me in a tight backwards hug. "Don't worry. You can practically teach biology class. You can do this."

I sighed, breaking away. "Thanks," I said, opening the door. "Paninya, let's go. Winry's waiting."

…And not even five seconds in, I regretted even volunteering.

There was so much blood. With Sera's limp body and rattling breaths, I had to resist the urge to vomit as I saw that _thing_…

"Ri, pay attention!" Winry barked. "Bring the light in closer!"

Oh God. More blood…I screwed up so bad…So so bad…

I don't know how long passed before I finally hit the floor, panting heavily. Ed was immediately at my side, holding my hair back as I dry heaved on my hands and knees. "What happened?" he barked at Winry, who pointed at Sera and Reid. Reid was holding their baby girl happily.

"She did it!" Ed cheered. "I can't believe you two did it! Amazing!"

"You sound like a little kid saying that," I said tiredly, sitting up.

"You know as well as I do that alchemists like us have been trying to do this for hundreds of years," he said.

"Well, in about ten, I'll be doing this, Winry'll be doing this, Paninya'll be doing this," I said, gesturing to each of us in turn. "It's a woman thing, Ed." My right leg felt like lead, and I could barely feel my left, but I still stood. Winry, however, chose to get a lift from Ed. "You wouldn't understand."

"It's embarrassing to be carried by a guy shorter than me," she said as Ed prepared to sit her down.

"You could always walk," I said, limping to the seat next to Winry.

"I'll drop you," Ed threatened.

"You two," she said softly, "I saw…"

And Ed dropped her. "Idiot," he said after a while.

I glanced at Ed uncomprehendingly. All that was inside my watch was my name and call sign.

"I haven't even shown it to Al, or Ri," Ed said finally.

"But why?" I asked, turning to him. "You tell me practically everything…"

"It was a lesson to myself to show my determination." He sighed. "It's kind of girly of me…to hold onto that day in the shape of my watch."

_October 3, 1911,_ I realized. _The day we burned down our home…_

I could see it in my mind's eye as I sat, staring at my hands. The heat on my face from the burning home made me inhale sharply. How many years had it been since I'd exposed myself to a fire of this magnitude willingly? Even the fires that Granny lit in the winter made me flinch. And here I was, staring up an another burning house, trying not to hyperventilate.

"This is it," Ed had said, clutching his pocket watch in his hand. "No turning back."

"Right," Al agreed.

I remained silent, stuck in another time. Ed gripped my shoulder comfortingly. "I'll never let that happen to you again," he had murmured.

I wasn't even aware of the tear tracking down my cheek until Ed brushed it away. "You too, Ri?" he asked with a small smile.

"I don't cry often," I muttered, swatting his hand away when it lingered a second too longer than I liked. I looked at Winry. "Why are _you_ crying?" I said snarkily, hating myself for sniffling.

"You two never cry, so I'm crying for you," she muttered.

"You should probably be getting back to Resembool," Ed said, standing.

"Yeah," I agreed, wiping at my eyes. "Granny's probably lonely all by herself."

"No," Winry muttered. "After seeing your determination, I can't walk around with half-assed determination."

"It's not like you have to walk around with the burden…" Ed muttered.

"I want to keep getting better so I can equip you two with better automail. So you can continue your journey with peace of mind. I'm going to try asking Mr. Dominic for an apprenticeship one last time!"

I couldn't help but admire her courage. "Winry, Ri," Paninya said, opening the door. "Mr. Reid wants to talk to you." She must've seen the looks on our faces, because she said, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I answered, brushing a hand through my hair, "I'll be right there." Something struck me. "But before I do…"

"Paninya…" Ed said slowly.

"GIVE US BACK OUR WATCHES, YOU THIEF!" we howled at almost the same time.

"You didn't have to hit me with your right hands!"

"_Then I'll hit you with my left!_" I growled.

Once I had my pocket watch back on the loop of my pants, I walked back into the bedroom. Dominic was acting like a completely different person.

"It's your grandpa!" he cooed at the baby in Sera's arms. "So cute!"

"He's like a completely different person," I muttered, watching as the doctor checked over the baby.

Dominic glared at us as the doctor grinned at Sera. "You and your baby are both in excellent condition," he said. "The post-birth care was also very well done." He glanced back at me. "Even an adult would panic if they happened to witness a childbirth for the first time."

"Panic is a bit of an understatement!" I said, waving my hands with a nervous laugh.

"We panicked a lot!" Winry added.

"I owe you two a huge thank you," Dominic said. "Especially you young ladies."

"Don't be so formal!" I complained, blushing.

Ed grinned, sidling up to Dominic. Whatever he said to him set him off on his 'I don't take apprentices' tirade. "But…" Dominic said with a blush, "If you're going to continue being so insistent, I'll introduce you to a skilled mechanic at the foot of the mountain."

"Can I come and observe your work some time?" Winry asked.

"You can come and see my grandchild, sure. You to, Paninya!"

"Ed!" I realized. "TRAIN!"

If there was another Jackrabbit of Resembool, I just put her to shame. Al pulled ahead of me, and Ed remained behind as we dashed to the station, the train whistling threateningly as it began to pull out of the station. "Let's go!" I shouted. "If we miss this train, we have to wait three more days!"

"Take care!" Winry called from behind us. Ed threw his trunk to Al, and then flung himself at the train, catching it.

"We will!" I said, putting on another burst of speed. I was running out of platform. Quickly leaping, I outstretched my hands, letting Ed grab me by the wrists and haul me to safe ground.

"Be sure to give Granny a call!" I shouted, waving.

"I don't want to hear that from you!" Winry threatened.

"Make sure you steal that geezer's techniques!" Ed called pointing to his automail. "That way, you can equip us both with better automail the next time we see you!"

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**So here's another upload! I'm working on cosplaying Ri for New York's Anime Con, so I might not be uploading so fast. Anywho... REVIEW!**

**Ri: Or I'll kill you. *Evil grin*  
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	10. Chapter IX: One is All, All is One

**An update finally! I assure you, your faithful Muse is not dead. She is just indulging in a true New York summer. And slaving to the tune of constructing automail...any tips? Tips receive cookies! Reviews get...assurances that Ericka won't kill you!**

**Ri: Nah...even then, I'd probably go kill people.**

**Ed: Are you PMSing? You're more kill-crazy than usual.**

**Ri: ..._Run..._**

**Muse: Well, while they go on and kill each other, and proceed to make out-**

**Ed and Ri: NEVER GONNA HAPPEN! O/O**

**Muse: ..._Suuuure_... Anywho, as stated above, if you have any tips for making some automail, please feel free to drop them in your loverly review! Now...on to the disclaimers! I really hope I didn't have to say this, but I am no cow-lady, therefore I am not Arakawa-sensei. All I own is $.02, some lint, and, of course, Ericka**

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**Chapter Nine**

**All is One, One is All**

_He was staring down at me, that same disappointed look in his blue-flecked-gold eyes. _My_ gaze. _My _eyes_. _I felt small and vulnerable underneath that stone-like stare…_

I jerked up, letting my head bump against the window. "We're almost at Dublith, Ri," Al said, and I let my gaze drift to my lap. With a sigh, I drifted down in my seat, trying not to look sulky.

"Were you dreaming?" Ed asked, gazing down at me with an eyebrow arched.

"Yeah," I muttered, still glaring out the window. "It was about _him…_"

Dublith was a relatively large town outside of South City. True…it _looked_ innocent enough. But towards the center, in an innocent looking butcher shop…was pain in the form of the scariest woman I've ever met.

"Well," Al said, "we're finally here."

"Thanks, Al," I said sarcastically, staring up at the deceptively innocent sign that read _Curtis Meats_. "Good to know that you're keeping tally of the possible ten minutes of life we have left."

"I really hope Teacher isn't home…" Ed groaned, hanging his head.

We heard footsteps then. Footsteps that shook the ground. The door creaked open, displaying a large butcher knife covered in blood.

I screamed, leaping into Ed's arms as one of the tallest guys I've known stepped onto the street. "U-um…" I stammered. "Hi, Sig. Long time, no see."

He slammed his hand down on top of my head, squishing me to the ground. "It's been awhile," he rumbled, ruffling my head as I shuddered in fear. If Mr. Curtis was home…that only meant _one thing_… "You've gotten taller."

"I'm going to shrink…" I whimpered as he moved onto Ed, showing him the same rough love treatment.

"Um…hi," Al finally said, "it's me, Alphonse."

Mr. Curtis rubbed Al's head after a second. "You've _really_ gotten bigger." He leaned in through the open window. "Izumi, the Elric shrimps are here. Think you can get up?"

I moved closer, trying to pick out what Teacher was saying. "I'm feeling better today," I heard her say.

"I guess she wasn't feeling well," I said, the closest to the door. "I hope her body heals so—"

The door swung open, knocking Ed and Al out of the way…leaving me right in the line of fire.

The last thing I saw was that terrible toilet-slipper sole before I tumbled into the street, wailing in pain. Ed joined me a second later, sobbing in fear.

"_You are the biggest_ idiots_ of apprentices I have ever had the misfortune of teaching,_" the woman growled, her face shadowed. "_What's this I hear of you two becoming dogs of the military?_" She turned to Al, who was shaking so hard, I was afraid he was going to shake himself to pieces.

"T-Teacher!" he squealed. "W-well…about this…"

Her face was no longer in shadow, revealing that familiar face I'd grown to associate as my second…_third _mother. "Al?" Izumi Curtis asked. "Look how big you've gotten!"

"You haven't changed much either!" Al said happily, moving over to shake Teacher's hands.

"No, Al!" I wailed. "It's a ploy!"

He didn't listen to me. Teacher flipped Al over her shoulder cleanly, and he fell right on top of me. "Oh, sweet lord!" I gasped out.

"You've slacked off on your training," Teacher muttered, crossing her arms.

I shoved Al off of me, rubbing at the suspiciously foot-shaped bruise on my face. "Teacher, I thought you weren't feeling well," I said, wiping blood from underneath my nose.

"_Forget about that!" _Teacher roared. _"I'm out of bed because I heard that my idiot apprentices were…"_ She vomited blood, and we yelped.

"Don't push yourself," Sig said, already at her side.

"You're worried about me, dear? How sweet!"

I stood there, gaping soundlessly, watching the terrifying woman transform into the loving housewife. How was that even _possible _with a woman like her?

Once the moment was over, Teacher lead…well…_dragged_ us inside to her kitchen table. Ed cut to the chase, leaving me to stare at her as she contemplated his words.

"The Philosopher's Stone?" she echoed. "I don't know much about the subject because it doesn't interest me."

"I see…" he said, sounding depressed.

"Izumi, what about those two travelling alchemists we met while we were in Central?" Sig pointed out. "Those two seemed to know a lot on the subject of the Stone."

I grinned widely, glancing at Ed and Al. To think that _two _people knew about the Stone! "What were they like?" I exclaimed, leaning forward in my seat.

"Well…they were both fairly tall," Izumi said, "One was blonde haired, gold eyes…" I felt sick to my stomach. "The other was just a little shorter than him. Quite handsome. He had brown hair, and eyes like yours, Ri…" No…no way… "I think their names were…Hoenheim and Thames, right dear?"

I stiffened at the name of the latter. God no…please let it be anyone but him. Rage bubbled up inside of me, making me want to go straight back to Central to find him…and make him suffer for what happened to Mom…

"What's wrong with you two?" Teacher snapped. "Someone you know?"

"He's alive," I hissed.

"…Hoenheim is our father," Al said hesitantly, "…and Thames is Ri's."

"Those are the two who left, correct?"

"Yeah, that's the one," I all but snarled. Ed started recounting what Hoenheim had done to his family. I didn't pay much attention. I was too busy thinking about _him_. If he didn't leave…Mom would still be here. _He_ would have saved her from the fire. Maybe the fire wouldn't have even started in the first place if that bastard didn't leave!

"They looked pretty happy, though," Teacher said thoughtfully, "something about a dream from a while ago finally coming true."

Stars flashed in front of my eyes, and I held the back of my head in my hands. "OW!"

"Now we're going to eat," she barked, storming off into the kitchen.

I glanced at Ed. Teacher and her mood swings…

"Ri!" Teacher growled from somewhere in the kitchen. "You've got hands. _Use them in here before I cut them off!_"

"_Yes ma'am!_"

I didn't even bother to count how many times Teacher almost killed me with all the implements in the kitchen. Once dinner was served, and I was sitting in between my brothers, I knew I was relatively safe…

"You're not going to eat, Al?" Sig asked, handing over a piece of some sort of meat.

"N-no!" he squealed. "I-I had a big lunch on the train!"

"Hey, Al!" Ed said, turning to his brother. "Tell her about how the baby was born in Rush Valley!"

"Yeah! It was raining really bad, and we couldn't get the mother to a hospital."

"Idiot. We didn't do anything. It was Ri and Winry."

I blushed at the praise, finding my salad very interesting. "All I did was have a panic attack at the sight of blood," I muttered, "Winry did everything."

"I learned that people are born because everyone works together to help the mother," Al said, sounding awed. "The mother risks her life to help her child into the world. Everyone's blessed when a baby is born."

"That's right," Teacher said gently, "That's how you three were given life as well. That's why you should cherish your lives."

We shared a collective grin before politely excusing ourselves. I stayed behind to help Sig wash up from dinner, before he shoved me up the stairs, muttering something about, "The cook never cleans up afterwards."

"Ri!" Al squealed, dragging me into the room like he hadn't seen me in years. "You're still alive!"

"Of course I am!" I shouted, pushing away Ed's hands as he checked me for broken bones. "Keep your hands to yourself, Ed!"

He eventually relented, and I lay down next to Ed on the bed, staring up at the skylight above us. "Teacher hasn't changed, has she?" I said softly. I leaned up, undoing the zippers on either sides of my boots.

"Nope," Ed said, tugging me back down next to him.

"Not since we first met her," Al said.

I fell thoughtfully silent, staring up at the stars, thinking back to the first day I'd ever seen Izumi Curtis…

…

Rain practically soaked Resembool. Nervously, tugging the hood of my poncho up further on my head, I stood next to Ed, gripping his hand tightly. Down below, the men from Resembool were piling sandbags up against the dirt levees that usually held against the usual summer storms.

"The levees are breaking," I said softly, watching as muddy water splashed over, knocking down a large portion of one wall. "We should do something!"

"Ri what's a _tree_ gonna do against a levee?" Ed asked. "Maybe if we draw a circle up here…"

"And how exactly is _that_ gonna work? Transmutations don't carry over long distances!"

"Ed, Ri, look!" Al said, tugging at our sleeves. Glancing down the cliff, we watched in shock as a woman with thick black hair pulled back in several microbraids strode past the men fleeing for high ground. Water shredded through the hasty barrier, drenching the woman from the waist down.

"She's crazy!" I squealed, "You can't draw circles in all that mud!" But even as I said that, she clapped her hands, alchemic discharge sparking off of her fingers. She dropped them to the ground. To my shock, the reaction carried. Gigantic stone walls rose, replacing the sandbags. At once, the raging water was under control.

"That should do it!" she said, planting her hands on her hips. From off to the side, a huge man paced up to the woman, holding an umbrella over her head.

"W-who are you?" someone called from down below.

"Just a housewife passing by!" she said…

Before vomiting blood.

But we weren't going to back down now. We needed help in order to pull off human transmutation. This woman might be the only person we could go to for help. I quickly squeezed through the mass of bodies, unable to keep the grin off my face.

"Hey, old lady!" Ed shouted, immediately drawing the woman's attention. "Will you be our Teacher!"

A vein ticked in her forehead, and before I knew it, we were flying backward courtesy of a transmuted fist.

Still, we ran forward, smiling brightly. "Pretty please, old lady?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm a little hard of hearing," she said, vein ticking even worse than before, "care to repeat?"

Glancing between us, we quickly turned on the charm, "We're sorry!" we said in unison, "Please be our teacher, nice lady!"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because, I don't take students." She leaned down, terrifying me. "And besides, we're in the middle of a trip."

"Please take us as your students!" We leapt at her, Ed and Al latching onto her arm, me latching onto her leg.

"God, you're so persistent!" she barked. "Do you even have your parent's permission?"

"That's the thing," some man said from behind us, "these little ones don't have any parents."

She fell silent, and I didn't dare look up at her. "…How can I say no to those faces…" she murmured softly.

At first…I was elated to have a teacher…but that lasted for as long as it took for us to arrive on Yock Island.

We turned to our teacher…_Izumi Curtis_, who was standing in a rowboat controlled by her husband, Sig. "Survive on your own!" she called to us.

"Huh?" I gasped.

"That's for the preliminary course! If you pass, then we'll move on to the main training phase! And you're not allowed to use alchemy."

"_What?_"

"One is All and All is One," Izumi said simply. "Find the answer to that within the month. If you can't, then you're on your way back to Resembool!"

Something arced through the air, landing right at my feet. "A _knife?_" I screeched.

"Later!" With a signal to Sig, the boat began to disappear from the shore of the island…

…Leaving us all alone.

"WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO?"

Night came quickly. Ed and Al had dragged down some gigantic palm leaves. I was in between the two of them, listening to my stomach growl in protest.

"So hungry…" I moaned.

"I wanna sleep in a real bed…" Al whined.

"What part of this is alchemy training?" Ed exploded, bolting up.

Our stomach let out one big unified growl, and we relaxed back, trying to get some sleep.

..

The next morning, I hung upside down from a tree branch, thankful my brothers weren't close by. "I…really…hate…jumpers!" I snarled as I tried to keep the bottom half from slipping all the way up. Below me, a small rabbit leapt over a tree root. "How cu—"

All of a sudden, the rabbit was upside down like me. "Got it!" Ed shouted.

"Ed, what the hell?" I barked, swinging myself right side up, gripping some fruit in my hands.

"Just because you don't eat meat doesn't mean we have to suffer!"

"_YOU'RE GONNA KILL IT?_"

"_HOW ELSE DO YOU EXPECT TO EAT IT!_"

"_**I DON'T EXPECT TO EAT IT! IT HAS A FACE, DAMMIT! A FACE! FACE! FACE! FACE!**__"_

Reluctantly, I stood next to Al, feeling sick to my stomach as Ed crouched over the rabbit, the knife in hand. "We have to gut it," Ed said, staring at the tiny little thing.

After a moment's hesitation, he handed the knife to me. "You do it," he said.

"Never," I spat, shoving the knife back at him, "It's bad enough I have to watch this. I'm not taking part in it!"

We both turned to Al, "_You _do it."

"I don't want to do it!" he protested.

"I did the catching," Ed said, "you do the killing."

"You always make me do all of your dirty work!"

A sound behind us drew us back to the rabbit…

Which was hanging from the mouth of a fox.

"Get back here!" Ed shouted, taking off running. Although I was secretly glad that the rabbit wasn't going to die by our hands, I wasn't going to let my brother's starve. I threw the fruit at the fox, grinning as it made contact.

Snarling, the fox rounded on me, displaying bloody teeth. The rabbit was off to the side, already in the jaws of its pups. It lunged, and I screamed.

"Get away from her!" Al shouted, throwing rocks while Ed dragged me away. Blood flowed freely down my right arm, and I fought back tears. With a snap in my direction, the fox retreated to its babies.

Al rushed to my side, already tearing his shirt into strips, pressing them against the bite. "Fantastic," I said, biting on my lip, "I survive a house fire, only to die thanks to gangrene or lockjaw or…some other disgusting disease that fox bites transmit."

"If you're fine enough to use sarcasm," Ed said, attempting to lighten the mood as he helped me to my feet, "you'll be fine."

"Yeah…now we have no food." I glanced back at the foxes, unable to get the sound of crunching bones out of my ears.

"Uh…why don't we try fish instead?" Al suggested, already heading to the shore.

Glancing into the water, I watched the fish swim aimlessly back and forth. "How are we going to catch one?" Ed exploded. "We don't have a rod, or line, or hooks, or bait, or anything!"

"Are you going to complain for the next twenty-nine days we're stuck on this damn island?" I snapped irritably.

And, for the second time that day, we went to bed hungry. "No food, no fire…" I muttered, staring at the dried blood crusted onto my skin, along with dirt and any other thing feasible.

"Don't say that!" Ed snapped.

Day four found us crouched under the tent we'd managed to build, I had my hands wrapped around my knees, hating how weak and overly warm I was feeling.

Day six…

Six days in…not even a full week…and we were gonna die miserably. We were hungry, tired, and I was sick. The sun beat down on us, making me warmer than before. "We're gonna die…" I whispered. "And no one's gonna care…"

All of a sudden, Ed lurched at Al, biting down on his arm. I didn't even have the strength to move as Ed rolled over on me.

"Geez!" Al shouted, inspecting the bite. "Brother, what was that for?"

But Ed wasn't paying attention. Painfully, I shoved myself up onto my hands. "Ed…?" I said softly.

Oh God…he was eating _ants…_ "Ed! Snap out of it!" I shook him roughly. The scab that had coated my bite broke, and blood began to flow down my arm.

"I'm…alive…" he said slowly, staring at me clearly. "I'm alive…because I consumed life." He grabbed me by my shoulders, shaking me in return. "We're not gonna die here!"

Before I knew it, I was sitting on the shore of the beach with Al while Ed went hunting. He had a pile of wet sand in his arm. "Ready?" he asked.

"No," I said bitterly, sliding down the straps of my jumper, rolling up the sleeve of my shirt.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, before rubbing sand in the wound.

I howled in pain, arching against Al's hands. Talk about rubbing salt in a wound. Sand? Then salt water? No. Not the best way to clean out a cut.

Finally done, we rejoined Ed, who was decked out in leaves, looking like something out of a storybook I'd read as a kid.

With battle cries, Ed and Al chased after the poor rabbit, leaving me to fish.

The days passed easier than before after that. We weren't going to die. We were going to live to see Mom's smile again. We made fire without alchemy. We hunted. All the while, we tried to figure out Izumi's riddle.

"Tomorrow's it," I said one night, staring up at the stars.

"One month," Al murmured, "Did you ever figure out the answer to 'One is Al and Al is One?'"

"Nope," I said.

"Well…I have a hunch," Ed said, "Remember when I ate the ants because I was starving and out of it?"

"You rolled on top of me when Al pushed you off after taking a chunk out of his arm," I pointed out with a smile.

"Yeah, sorry about that," he said with a laugh, "they were really nasty! But then a thought came to mind. If I hadn't eaten them, I would've died, and then they'd eat me. I'd return to the ground, and become grass. And then a rabbit would eat that."

"The food chain?" I asked, "Like…what we learned in school?"

"Yeah. But that's not all. This island might have been underwater back in ancient times. And tens of thousands of years into the future, it could be the summit of a mountain!"

"So it's like a cycle," Al said thoughtfully.

"Everything we see, everything we touch. It's all a part of a flow that you and I are just one part of. But I don't know if the flow should be called the universe or the world, but from the point of view of something that big, you and I are no bigger than ants. One small part of one great All. And if you get all those ones together, you get one big all."

The next morning, we sat cross-legged on the beach, staring up at Izumi. "It is the end of one month!" she barked, "Let's hear your answer to All is One and One is All."

"All is the world!" Al cried.

"And One is me!" me and Ed barked at the same time. She stared down at us, and I looked up at her, feeling proud of myself.

Needless to say, I was shocked when she burst out laughing. "Good. Now we can start the real training."

"We didn't die!" I cried, embracing my brothers tightly, too relieved for words to be alive.

The next months passed easily for us. In the morning, we would spar with Teacher in the front yard while she read out of her cookbook. "The basis of a transmutation is the strength of the circle," she recited as she easily tripped me, sending me sprawling. Similar cries from Ed and Al alerted me to the fact that they were on the ground, too. I tried an attack from behind, only for her to elbow my kick out of the way. "The circle displays the circulation of power, and by sketching the construction symbol within the structural matrix, it becomes possible to utilize its power."

She flung Ed away easily. I leapt at her, attempting a spinning kick, pivoting my hips into the blow. She tossed the book up into the air, catching me by both of my ankles. Spinning, she sent me sprawling, groaning in pain as she showed Al similar treatment.

"This is also the circulation of power," she said easily, catching the book. "It is best if you experience it yourself."

Ed cried out as he went spinning off into the street, catching fantastic airtime. "Now," Teacher said easily, "review until lunch!"

"Okay…" I moaned, picking myself off the ground as Al sketched an empty circle on the ground. "The circle denotes the circulation of power…"

"And by sketching in the structural matrix, you can unleash its power," Al finished for me, "But Teacher, you transmute by pressing your palms together."

"So you don't need the structural matrix?" I asked.

Teacher glanced back at us, "I am like the structural matrix," she said finally.

"What do you have to do in order to do that?" Ed asked excitedly.

"You might be able to do it if you arrive at the Truth."

…

I jolted up in bed at the same time as Ed. "Teacher's seen the Truth!" I exclaimed.

The next morning, we brought Teacher outside. She faced the wall, leaving me, Ed, and Al standing behind her. "So," she began slowly, "what's so important that you pulled me out here?"

"W-Well…" Ed began. Teacher whirled, a transmuted staff in her hands. She lunged at Ed, slamming the butt into my stomach, knocking me into Al. His head flew off, flying into the wall behind us. I lunged at Teacher, who was attacking Ed so viciously, I was worried she was going to kill him. The head of the staff caught my right hand, tearing through sleeve and bandage. I clapped my hands, shattering the body of the staff while Ed slashed through the head with his arm blade.

Oh man…we're so screwed…

"Just as I thought," she snapped, "you can transmute without a structural matrix!"

Double screwed…

"In addition, Al is just a suit of armor!"

Triple screwed…

"And Ed, your right arm and left leg are automail."

Quadruple screwed…

"And Ri, your right arm and right leg are automail!"

…Dead.

"Teacher, how did you know?" I asked.

"_I can tell just from sparring with you!_" She paused, staring down at me and Ed. "You saw it…didn't you?"

My eyes widened in shock.

"_YOU SAW IT, DIDN'T YOU?_" Teacher roared.

"Y-yes ma'am!" me and Ed hastily cried. Ed roughly ruffled my hair, staring down at the ground.

"Both teacher and student…making the same stupid mistakes…"

I glanced up at Teacher in shock, feeling myself beginning to hiccup. "Teacher…you…" Ed whispered.

"Because you saw that thing…" I whimpered.

Teacher led us silently inside. "We had a difficult time conceiving a child," she finally began once Sig was at her side. "For a while, we feared we were barren. When I finally was with child, I fell gravely ill. And because of that, our child couldn't take a living breath in this world. So…" She sighed heavily. "I committed the taboo."

I rubbed my left hand up and down my right arm. "Because of that, many of my organs were taken," Teacher continued, "I'm such an idiot. I should have told you sooner. Maybe then, I could have prevented you from making the same mistake…It must have been tough."

"N-no!" Ed said, a fake smile plastered on his face. "We did this to ourselves, after all. We don't find it hard at all!"

"I think about all the good stuff I get to eat when I get my body back," Al said happily, gesturing to the notebook he kept on hand.

"And I…" I said softly, unable to bring myself to smile. "…I look forward to not being treated as a cripple."

"You little idiots…" Teacher murmured affectionately, drawing the three of us into a warm hug. "It's okay to hurt."

My eyes drifted closed, as if that alone could stop the tears. "Forgive us," Ed whispered.

"We're so sorry," I sobbed brokenly.

"Please forgive us…" Al murmured.

"Forgive us…"

"We're so sorry…"

"Please forgive us…"

* * *

**Whew, this was one difficult chapter to write! I'm in a good mood, so if you want to see any pairings, insert away! (Besides EdWin, because...well...Ericka's already got dibs there...) Also, if you wanna see your own OC here, drop me a comment! I'll include it if it fits well into the plotline (which it probably will.) And if it's a Mary-Sue...never going to get a chance in here. Your OC _can't _have any relation whatsoever to a canon character! Originality is key!**

**Ri: You were real original with me. You based half my looks off of yourself and your friends!**

**Muse: Plus your sarcasm and homicidal tendencies...**

**Ri: Good to know.**

**Muse: Anywho, Ri, go clean the blood off of your hands. I don't want Mustang looking for Ed again, and I'll have to clean up the mess. Now...REVIEW! YOUR MUSE COMMANDS YOU!  
**


	11. Chapter X: Beasts of Dublith

**Oooh! An upload from your favorite Muse! I hope you've had the chance to read The Art of Crossdressing. If you haven't, please do!**

**Ri: But I crossdress!**

**Muse: Hush, Ri. Don't you need to go and kill Ed for reading your journal?**

**Ri: He did _WHAT?_**

**Ed: WHAT? -takes off running-**

**Muse: Oh well, now that I've gotten them out of the way, I guess it's time for the usual disclaimer... ****I don't know what would! All that's left to say is that**** I really hope I didn't have to say this, but I am no cow-lady, therefore I am not Arakawa-sensei. All I own is $.02, some lint, and, of course, Ericka.**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Eleven**

**Beasts of Dublith**

"I'm amazed you were able to come back alive after seeing that thing," Teacher said to us. We were staring at her back, on edge for any stray punches. "To be expected from my students, I suppose."

"But…" Ed began.

"But rules are rules," Teacher cut him off. She turned to face us, her eyes hard. "You're expelled."

I froze. _Expelled? _I looked at her, expecting her to smile jokingly. But there was no joking there.

"But, Teacher!" I began. Ed's flesh hand on my mouth cut me off.

"Ri!" he barked.

Teacher turned around, facing the window once more. "The trains are still running. Get on one."

Unable to say anything, I bowed deeply. "Teacher…thank you."

Without another word, Sig walked us to the station. "Drop by if you're ever in town," he rumbled, patting my head affectionately.

"But we're…" Al said.

"Idiot!" Sig barked. We jerked away. "You aren't in a teacher-student relationship anymore. It means that for now on, you four are equals." We glanced at each other. "What's holding you back?

"_Dammit!_" Ed groaned, slapping himself in the head. "Al, Ri, what did we come to Dublith for?"

I let my jaw drop. "We're idiots!"

"Sig, we gotta go back." Ed gripped me by the hand, and we took off running.

"Don't let her kill you," Sig called back to us, sounding worried.

"We'll try!" I called back, before Ed jerked me around the corner, right into the back door to Curtis Meats.

"Teacher!" he shouted. A knife flew out, nearly cutting off Ed's antenna. Another, smaller knife flew out, pinning my leading arm to the wall behind me.

"_WHAT ARE YOU SCUM DOING HERE?_" Teacher roared, brandishing another knife from who knows where. "_YOU AREN'T MY STUDENTS, HOW DARE YOU CALL ME YOUR TEACHER!_"

We fell to our knees. "Teacher!" I barked, "We came here to find clues on how to restore our bodies!"

"We can't go back with nothing!" Ed shouted.

"Go home!" Teacher snarled.

"We won't!" we barked straight back at her.

She stood there for a long while, her hands planted on her hips. Finally, she sighed, muttering, "Morons," before leading us into the living room.

"Al, you never saw the Truth, did you?" Teacher asked. When Al shook his head, she glanced at me. "And Ri, it's possible that you saw the Truth twice."

"Well, if I saw it twice, I don't remember it," I said, leaning forward.

"Maybe the two of you lost your memories due to shock. How about we try retrieving those memories?" Her eyes narrowed, "Al, your whole body was taken. You had to be the closest to the Truth."

"I get it!" Ed exclaimed. "You, Ri, and I only had parts of our bodies taken. So if it's based on how much we pay as toll, Al definitely paid the most! So if we somehow retrieve Al's memories, we might be able to figure out how to get our bodies back!"

"Then I guess my memories won't be a big help, with they?" I said with a quiet smile.

"Not necessarily," Teacher said. "You're…" She fell silent.

"I'm what?"

Teacher remained stubbornly silent. "Teacher, what am I?" I tried again. The room was strangely silent.

"…Dead."

I froze. "I'm…_what?_" I choked out. I placed my left hand to my heart, feeling its reassuring beat. "I…I have a pulse. I'm not dead!" I could feel myself growing hysterical.

"Ericka, I need to speak with you _alone._" Teacher stood, gesturing for me to follow her into the hallway.

When the door was safely closed behind me, I wheeled, facing her. "How can you say I'm dead when I have a pulse?"

"Ri, you're a Dead-Life. An Aveumortis."

_Aveumortis…_

_An Aveumortis (pl. Aveumorti) is a person who was supposed to die, but their life was saved by another person's life taken in his/her stead. The person, now classified as an Aveumortis, is destined to live out the life span of the person who died for them. In lieu of this, the soul of the Aveumortis is—_

"…Dead…" I didn't have to finish the sentence of that book to know that my soul was dead.

"Ri," Teacher said, sounding worried, "Ri, you're still alive, but your dead at the same time. Does that make sense?"

I nodded emotionlessly. "So I may have actually conversed with Truth," I said, "More than you, or Al, or Ed."

"Yes." She lead me back inside, and I sat in between Ed and Al, trying not to break down. I was supposed to die. I can't believe it. I wasn't supposed to live…

"Your mind could explode," Izumi said ominously. I jerked into Al, who was just as freaked as me.

"If you screw up, it could destroy you," Ed added, just as ominous.

"But if it could lead us to a clue," Al said, clenching his hands into fists.

"Then we want to do it!" I said, just as strong.

"Fine," Teacher said after a moment's pause. "Let me ask a friend about retrieving memories." She smiled at us, "But, until then, let's eat." She grinned at me especially. "I have apples, cinnamon, flour, and sugar. If you're up for it…"

Ed looked at me, elation clear on his face.

"Alright, alright!" I laughed, shoving him away, standing next to Teacher. "Apple pie for desert!"

The next morning, I was outside with Al, sweeping with him. "Kinda feels weird now, knowing I'm dead and all," I said aloud.

"Don't say that, Ri!" Al said, brandishing the broom at me. "Teacher…maybe she was just fooling with you."

_You're dead, Ri._

_Aveumortis…_

_Dead-Life…_

"Maybe," I said off handedly, before something hit me in the back of my head. "What the hell?" I spun around, staring at the crumpled paper ball at my feet.

"Alright, who's the litterbug," Al muttered, putting his broom down next to mine to glance at the note written on the paper.

"The Devil's Nest?" I asked. "Isn't that in that part of town Teacher threatened to kill us if she ever saw us over there?"

"And what secret…" Al trailed off, the same thoughts running through my head as him.

_Secrets…_

_Aveumortis…_

_Soul-bound armor…_

I crumpled the paper in my hand. "Let's go and see what these guys want."

I knew off handed where The Devil's Nest was, only because I remember Teacher and Mason heading down there to deal with one of the guys who was leering at me on one of the last days we were here before we went back to Resembool. The path came naturally to me as we passed through dark alleys and bright streets lined with bars, brothels, and strip clubs. If Al could blush, I'm sure he would have, but I kept my hand on his arm reassuringly.

Finally, we reached The Devil's Nest.

Outside the bar, we saw three people: two men and a woman. One of the men was covered in a thick cloak, like a leper. From the back, I was shocked to see a tail. The other wore a white _gi_, and had a katana scabbard at his hip. The woman was dressed like she was in the military.

"We were waiting for you two," the man in the _gi _said, a grin on his face.

" 'We know your secrets'," I said, holding up the crumpled wad of paper in my hand. " 'Come to The Devil's Nest.'"

"Are you the ones who wrote this?" Al asked, planting a hand on my shoulder.

"We sure are," the same man said, stepping forward. "We know a whole lot about you two."

"Well, maybe you'd be willing to share that information with us," I said, crossing my arms. "We have no clue what we are exactly."

"Then it's settled! You just follow us."

"…Our brother said not to follow strangers," Al said.

"And Teacher isn't too keen on it either," I piped in.

"How old are you?" the stranger asked tiredly.

"I'm fourteen," Al said.

"And I'm thirteen," I said, almost daring him to say I looked younger.

"If you're thirteen and fourteen, shouldn't you be and to make your own decisions?"

I glanced back at Al, sneakily jerking my thumb at the weirdo. "Yeah, I guess you're right," I said with a shrug, turning to face him.

"So you'll—"

I jumped into the air, keeping my legs bent and close to my body. Pivoting, I outstretched my leg, catching the guy in the jaw with a roundhouse kick that even Teacher would be proud of.

"So we've decided that we're gonna beat the crap out of you so you'll tell us what we want to know," I finished.

"So you've chosen to be taken by force," the guy said, drawing his katana. Al planted his hand in the guy's face, making him rocket backwards again. But the tip of his sword flicked his head off, and the woman leapt up onto Al.

"Sorry to drop in," she said, diving right in with the fluidness of a snake.

"AL!" I howled, immediately lunging for him. But this time, another guy, this time someone with muscles to rival Sig and Armstrong looped wire around both of my hands before I could even react. "What do you think you're—"

"You talk too much," he grumbled, and brought his fist down on my head, right where that fracture was still healing. Stars danced in front of my vision, and I let out a shrill shriek, dropping to the ground as blackness once again encroached itself on my vision.

…

"So it _is_ true! You really are empty!"

I slowly blinked my eyes open, feeling dizzy and disoriented. Al's head was still off, and some weirdo (I seemed to be attracting them in droves today) was leaning into him. "Well, I'm Greed. So let's try to get along…" he trailed off, realizing I was at least semiconscious. "Oh! You're alive!"

"As much as I am," I said bitterly, too weak to sit up. I felt blood flowing out of my left wrist from the chafing metal rope.

"When you started bleeding from the ear, you had me pretty worried." He crouched down to stare me in the eye. "I've never seen a live Aveumortis before."

"And there goes that word again."

"What are you guys, really," Al asked. "You were lying about being chimera's, right?"

_Chimera…_

_Nina…_

"There's no way you're chimeras!" I spat, sitting up, feeling the encrusted blood on my face ripple and crack. "It's impossible!"

"There's no such thing as impossible, pretty one," Greed said, crouching down at me again. He brushed his hand down the length of my cheekbone, and I snapped at him. "Oh! This one's got bite!" His hand fell to my bare left shoulder…

Bare…

Left…

Shoulder…

I glanced down at myself, shocked and appalled to find that I was shirtless, leaving me in my bra.

"_GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF—_"

My threat came unfinished as his hand slid behind my shoulder, brushing up against a raised bit of skin a part of the curling burn scar. Pain unlike anything I've ever felt flowed down my spine, wrapping around every fiber of my being. I howled, feeling myself convulse in a detached sort of way. More blood from wounds I had been aware of up until now began to flow freely, scabs ripped open, wounds still unhealed from my attack bursting open. Al lunged at Greed as I slumped bonelessly to my side, breathing heavily through my nose.

"Anyway," Greed continued, making me hate him even more. "Martel—the girl inside of you, armor boy—is part snake. And Loa—the guy who's behind me…what are you again?"

The guy who'd originally knocked me out barely acknowledged him. "Cow," he grumbled.

"Then we've got lizard and crocodile. The guy who girly here brained earlier takes a piss with one leg up…"

"Only once!"

"You're a dog?" Al squealed.

"It's pretty useful!"

"No way…" I murmured, spasming as the pain continued to come, whether I liked it or not. "That's…impossible… And who are you…you gonna say performed the transmutation successfully?"

"The military," Greed said with a smirk.

"What…?"

"And that means there's a whole other world underneath this one that barely anyone knows about. But on a different note, I'm no chimera." He held up his hand, revealing a tattoo that looked exactly like the drawing Ed did in the hospital. "I'm a homunculus."

"Impossible!" I shouted, trying not to sound hysterical. "A homunculus…it's a person that's not a person, a living doll! They can't be made!"

"Any more than an Aveumortis is overlooked by Truth and given a second chance at life?" Greed shot back at me. "Don't talk to be about death, girl. You're not supposed to be here in the first place." He stood, and Loa struck out with his mallet, completely ripping through Greed's upper head, leaving only his lower jaw intact.

"What did you do that for?" Al shouted.

"He was your friend!" I cried.

All at once, Greed stood, his head knitting back together. I was struck silent by the morbidness of the situation. He snapped his neck back into place and snorted blood out of his nose. "That's one death for me, and one for you!" he said cheerily. "Now we're even, won't ya say?"

"No way…"

"So, do you understand me now?" he asked. "There's no such thing as 'impossible'. Besides, aren't you two prime examples of that? An existence without a soul or a body. An existence with only a half of your soul."

"How did you…" Al muttered.

"Let's just say I know about everything that goes on in this world," Greed said eerily. "So let's just get to the point. How does it feel to be immortal with just a soul?"

_Just a soul…_

"You…" I hissed, slowly climbing to my feet, ignoring the dizziness. "Just crossed the line."

"Wha…"

I kicked out, bringing my hands over my head, coming down on them as easily as I could breathe. My heels struck Greed in his newly healing head. There was a sickening crack as my steel-tipped boot broke his neck in several places, sending him rocketing back into the wall by the dog guy…Dorochet.

He struck out with his katana, and, once again, I planted my foot in his mouth, but his sword still caught me on my bicep.

Stepping back, I fell into a ready position, even with my hands tied behind my back, blood flowing from my chafed wrist.

"And that's twice for me," Greed muttered. Gasping, I grunted as he punched me in the jaw, sending me bouncing back against Al. "Now, that wasn't fair. You could've sent me to an early grave with that kick of yours."

"Trust me, next time, I'll do that."

He smirked at me. "Getting back to our conversation, armor boy. I want eternal life—"

"You look pretty immortal to me…" I muttered, nursing my jaw with my automail. They just _had _to tie my hands in opposite directions…

"—I'm Greed. I want money, women, status, power, sex, everything in the world!"

"Like Ri said," Al piped in, "you look pretty immortal to us."

"Sure, I'm built a little sturdier than most folk," he said with a shrug. "I've been alive for close to two hundred years now. But I'm not quite immortal. So now that I've told you my secret, you tell me yours."

"…I don't even know why I was overlooked by Truth," I said softly. "I can't remember it…"

"And I wasn't the one who did the transmutation, and it wasn't Ri either," Al said, "it was our brother."

And that's when Ed came barreling in through the door. The lizard-leper guy was at his feet in a bruised pile, making him look very…intimidating. Hell, even I was scared!

His eyes latched onto mine. I must've looked pretty pathetic, bleeding from my stomach, shoulder, head, arm, wrist…plus the fact I was half naked…

"Who…" he hissed, looking all but demonic. "is the bastard who took off my baby sister's shirt?"

"Ed, I'm fine," I said with a small smirk, "it just looks worse than it is."

"I wouldn't expect a loudmouth like you to get kidnapped with Al," he muttered, still looking peeved.

"Brother, this guy…he's a homunculus!" Al shouted.

"Homunculus?" Ed echoed.

"Hey, don't go blowing my secret!" Greed admonished.

"He might have a hint on how to get our bodies back!" Al cried.

"…The Orouboros…" Ed muttered.

"So that's how it is," Greed muttered, "It would've been far easier to settle things with the armor boy and your little girlfriend here…"

"_NO!_" I barked, trying not to blush as I stared at him.

"If you're buddies with them," Ed snapped, "why don't you just ask them?"

" 'Them'?" Greed echoed.

"Your buddies in the Orouboros gang. The guys at Lab 5. And there, I met a guy who had his soul bound to armor too."

"Really? Well, for certain reasons, I can't really do that. So let's go on and discuss this. You three want your bodies back. I'll teach you how to create a homunculus, and, in exchange, you tell me how to affix a soul to a suit of armor, and how to halve a soul. Equivalent exchange, right?" He glanced back at me and Al. "But really…do you two really want your soul…or your body back? Personally, I think bodies like yours are a little more useful."

"No they're not!" we cried.

"Really? But you don't need to sleep, eat, get tired, or even use the toilet!" He turned to me. "And you…you don't need to worry about getting judged by the Truth! You don't have a full soul to be reviewed! Do you really want that one little half of your soul back?"

"Shut…your…damn…MOUTH!" Ed howled, making me jerk back, yelping. Now…I think I know how Ed feels whenever I get pissed…_ "USEFUL? AWESOME? YOU DON'T KNOW THE HELL THEY GO THROUGH EVERY DAY, AND YET YOUR SPEWING THIS BULLSHIT? HOW TO TRANSMUTE A SOUL? HOW TO __**HALVE A SOUL?**__ I'M NOT TELLING YOU__** JACK SHIT!**__ I'M GOING TO __**BEAT**__ THE LIVING__** SHIT**__ OUT OF YOU IF I NEED TO GET THE INFORMATION I WANT OUT OF YOU! I'M TAKING IT ALL, AND GIVING YOU NOTHING IN RETURN! I'M NOT DOING ANY __**IOTA**__ OF EQUIVALENT EXCHANAGE WITH __**SCUM LIKE YOU!**__"_

Completely awed, I watched, openmouthed, as Greed slowly clapped.

"Guess we have to use force again," Dorochet said, already reaching for his katana.

"Oh?" I said sarcastically, "and how did that end up for you the last two times you tried?"

"Don't kill him," was all Greed said.

"Fine, fine," Dorochet answered, moving into position. He swung, and Ed executed the same roundhouse as I used earlier today.

"I met a guy on death row who was way faster than you!" he said, before whipping out with his foot, knocking Dorochet back easily. He clapped his hands, transmuting his arm. "Next."

"Loa," Greed said softly. "Take the armor boy and our Aveumortis with you."

"Roger," Loa answered easily, picking me up, and placing me up against his hip, at the same time as he picked up Al with his other.

"HEY!" I snapped, kicking and squirming, "DON'T MANHANDLE ME!"

"H-hey!" Ed barked, dashing for us. Greed stopped him easily. The last thing I saw before we were whisked from the room was Ed holding his ground against Greed.

"LET ME GO!" I howled, beating my clenched fists harder. "LET ME GO YOU BASTARD! LET ME GO! _ED!_"

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**How did you enjoy the chapter? Unfortunately, I don't have Ed or Ri to give me a hand here, since they're either off killing each other or...well, the second part will be left to your imagination. -evil grin- I hope you continue reading...AND REVIEW!**


	12. Chapter XI: Those Who Lurk Underground

**Oooh! Two updates in two days! Wow...no I'm probably not gonna upload for a while now. Especially with volleyball tryouts this Thursday and Friday, and school starting in a couple weeks -insert mushroom sigh here- Anywho, I have Al here instead with us today because...well...**

**Al: Ed and Ri are too busy-**

**Muse: Doing what?**

**Al: -blush- NOTHING!**

**Muse: Really? -evil grin-**

**Al: Yes!**

**Muse: _Really?_**

**Al: Yes!**

**Muse: -arches eyebrow casually- Well, since we have Al here, all we have to go on is that they're either making out, or in the middle of killing each other. So I guess what's left to do is the disclaimer...Al?**

**Al: Oh! She really hopes she doesn't have to say it, but she is no cow-lady, therefore she is not Arakawa-sensei. All she owns is $.02, some lint, and, of course, Ri.**

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**Chapter Twelve**

**Those Who Lurk Underground**

That's it. This is _officially_ the worst day ever…

"Can you at least loosen the wire?" I complained, hating the feel of it chafing straight down to my nerves at this point. "If I lose any more blood, I'll just be a burden!"

"So you can go back and help your brother," Loa finished. "Sorry, but you'll have to deal with the discomfort."

I fell silent…

All until I heard that all too familiar howl. A howl that had the power to make me and Ed cry for forgiveness immediately.

"_A HOUSEWIFE!_" the beast roared, and instinctively, me and Al began trembling uncontrollably.

"What's with you two?" Martel asked from inside Al's armor. "Your friend here's shaking like he's seen the devil."

"We haven't seen it…" I whispered. "But we've sure as hell heard it!"

All of a sudden, Dorochet stopped in front of us. "I don't like this smell!" he growled, sniffing the air.

"It smells familiar," Loa muttered. "This is…" He didn't waste any time placing Al on the ground, popping open his head, and dumping me inside.

"What's this brat doing in here with me?" Martel shrieked.

"I don't like it much either, being stuck in here with scum like you!" I shot right back.

"We're going to check things out," Dorochet explained. There were two sets of footsteps, both leading away from us, leaving us totally alone in the sewers.

"Al…_start moving, dammit!_"

"Right, Ri!" he said, and began crawling forward on his hands and knees.

"Stop…moving!" Martel ordered, stretching out her limbs, keeping Al more or less in place as he continued to move forward.

"N…o!" Al grunted. "Ri…you okay?"

"The brat's bleeding all over me!"

"I'm not a brat!"

"Just hurry up and pass out already!"

Al stopped, and Martel shot up, flipping open Al's head. "Greed!" she cried. "What's happened? I haven't seen Loa or the others."

"Yeah, things have become a little complicated," he said with a haughty smirk. I snapped up, knocking Martel back.

"Where's my brother?" I shrieked, trying to squirm out of Al without damaging his blood seal. "What have you done to him?" When he remained silent, I renewed my attempt for freedom tenfold. No way…_no way…_ "_YOU BASTARD! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU AS MANY TIMES AS I NEED TO SO YOU'LL __**STAY **__DEAD! YOU HEAR ME? YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR KILLING—_"

There were footsteps behind us now. "I can't let you do that."

Oh God…the Fuhrer President…

Martel jerked me back inside by my ponytail, keeping me low, almost straight down in Al's leg.

"Huh?" I heard Greed ask. "Who're you, old man?"

"Fuhrer President!" Al cried, "why are you here?"

"King Bradley?" Greed gasped. "So what business does the most powerful guy in the country have with us?"

"How old are you?" he asked peacefully. "I'm turning sixty this year. And when you get old, your body doesn't move the way you want it to. So I really want to get this over with and go home to my wife and child."

"Retire already, gramps," Greed said. There were sounds like alchemy, footsteps, and a clashing sword.

"Al!" I cried. "What's going on?"

"The Fuhrer President…" Al gasped, "Greed was hardening his skin, and he cut off his hand! And now it's growing back!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You're not an ordinary geezer, are you?" Greed shouted.

"Greed?" Martel asked. Sounds of fighting continued to echo off the walls, and I kept my hands over my head, trying to block out each sound as it came.

Finally, I heard footsteps again, and Martel leapt up. "Greed!" she screamed.

"Keep down!" Al shouted, keeping his hands on his head.

"Open up!"

"No!"

"Al, what's going on?"

"Let me out!"

"I said no!"

"Al, tell me!"

"That was fifteen deaths already," the Fuhrer said from somewhere off to our right. "How many more do you have? Hmm?"

There was another sound, like alchemy. "Y-you bastard," Greed muttered.

"Dammit, the Fuhrer President himself is here?" Dorochet asked from somewhere behind me.

"I don't mind if you run off with your tail between your legs," Loa said with some bitterness in his voice.

"I'd love to, but look at my master? Dogs are pretty damn loyal." There was another sound, this time different. "The girl's inside, right?"

"Uh-huh," I answered.

"Stick your hands out so I can cut you free."

I was a little apprehensive, but I still did as I was told. The sound came again, and I tugged my hands in, shocked to see my hands freed.

"Please, get her out of here," he said, and I knew he was referring to Martel.

"We're counting on you two," Loa said. And then their footsteps receded.

"Quit interfering! Let me out!" Martel barked, banging on Al's head, trying to open him up. I tried to pull her down, but I was beginning to get lightheaded from all the bloodloss.

"I won't!" Al barked.

"I don't have time to mess around with you! I'm telling you to open up!"

"They said to keep you safe, so we're keeping you safe!" I growled, yanking her down an inch.

"So you can't come out!" Al snapped.

"Shut up and open up! Are you telling me to sit by idly and watch my friends die?"

"I can't let you come out!"

"They asked us to keep you safe, and goddammit, I'm not letting you get out of here and die in vain!"

She saw something that I couldn't. "DOROCHET!" she howled, and resumed her escape tenfold. "LOA!" Her fists were beginning to slow. "Please, I'm begging you…"

"We're sorry…" I murmured.

"But you can't…come out," Al finished.

"Hey Bradley," Greed sighed. "You really think that you're going to get away with doing this to my men?"

"You're feeling sympathetic now? How silly…" Bradley grumbled.

"Sympathy? Are you kidding me? Do you know who I am? I'm Greed. Money, women, subordinates…everything belongs to me! Which is why I won't abandon what's mine! I'm Greed, after all!"

"Greed? That's hilarious." The fighting began again. And it ended as soon as it started. "Why don't you lie there for a while?"

Al began backing away. "Al? What's the matter?" I asked slowly, keeping all my weight against Al's stomach. God…why was I so dizzy?

"I have to get you two out of here," he murmured, "Brother would never forgive me if I let something happen to you…"

"Hang on," I heard Bradley said. "You're Fullmetal's brother, and Whitewood is in there as well, correct?"

"Yes, sir," I answered.

"Are you hurt? Let me lend a hand."

"I'm fine!" I called, trying to keep Martel down, who was still in her slump, but slowly awakening as the Fuhrer's footsteps came closer.

"We can go back ourselves," Al said.

Faster than I could keep her down, Martel extended her limbs again, controlling Al, making his hand latch around the Fuhrer's throat.

"No, Martel!" Al shouted as I stood up, trying to shove her down.

"Bradley!" she howled.

And that's when I saw the sword…

It entered Martel's neck, disappearing into her, reappearing out her stomach, which, in turn, jabbed me less than an inch inside my chest, somewhere between my ribs. Blood practically exploded out of her, and I gasped…

_I stood before a strange gate, in a bright white expanse. Staring down at my four year old self, I turned to face the Truth._

"_Oh, such a young little thing," it cooed. "As much as I'd love to take you, I'm just too busy."_

"_What do you mean, take me?" I asked._

"_Your mother's time had come. Yours had not. You're going back. She is not. You get a second chance. She does not."_

"_Why are you talking like someone out of a book I read?"_

_Behind me, the gate swung open, revealing a swarm of beautiful blue butterflies. Kanji decorated their wings, the edges ragged and burned, as if they'd flown through wars and barely survived. _

"_I haven't made one of you in many years, little girl," the thing said to me. "So enjoy it while it lasts."_

_I screamed as pain laced through me. There was a terrible feeling, like something important had been ripped from me. I turned to see a part of my soul, ragged and broken, sitting beside Truth. _

"_And I welcome you to the Truth," it said in passing, right before I was drawn into the strange gate…_

…

Someone was calling my name. Two someones… There was a hand on my cheek, and another over my heart.

"Ri!" I opened my eyes, staring up at Ed. He smiled at me, eye relieved. "I would say my usual 'I'm gonna kill you' spiel, but I don't think it's right when you're like this."

"Like what?" I asked. It was then I noticed that Al was holding a bag of blood delicately in one hand. I was laying on the ground, using someone's military jacket as a pillow, and Ed's own to cover my…well, lack of a shirt. My wrist was bandaged, as was my chest, forehead, and shoulder. Stitches that I had ripped open were re-sewn, and, all in all, I felt like crap.

"You're covered in blood…" I mumbled, looking at his bandaged face. "Why is it that every time I manage to get myself in trouble, I always wake up to see you covered in blood?"

Ed looked off to the side, and I realized that I myself was practically red with blood. It was in my hair, on my skin, and I was certain that it was Martel's…

I saw her body, off to the side, covered in a tarp. Armstrong dropped to his knees beside me. "I opened Alphonse up, and pulled you two out," he muttered.

With a grimace, I crossed my right arm over my face. "I couldn't do anything…" I whispered, feeling way too much grief.

"It's not your fault," Ed murmured, resuming stroking my cheekbone with his thumb. He smiled down at me. "C'mon…let's go back. Teacher's waiting for us."

"Hold there," I heard the Fuhrer say. He stalked forward. "I have something to ask the three of you. The mastermind of this incident, Greed…is he an acquaintance of yours?"

"He kidnapped me and my brother, sir," I said, glancing at him. "I don't exactly find that to acquaintance-y."

"No, sir," Ed answered flatly, refusing to leave my side.

"Did you happen to obtain any information from him?" he asked.

"Nothing that would benefit the military, no," Ed answered.

"Don't misunderstand me. Not for the military. If you were making a deal with them…depending on your answer…Did you attempt to ally yourselves with people who's intent was to harm the mainstay of the military?"

"No sir," Ed answered again, bending down to pick me up. "Any other questions? I'd like to get my sister cleaned up at home."

"Your steel arms, and your brother's body…" Bradley trailed off. "They're related, are they not?"

I jerked, glancing at the Fuhrer. He smiled. "You two are certainly honest." He turned, walking away. "Time to withdraw." In parting, he murmured, "Take care of your little brother and sister, Fullmetal."

Silently, Ed carried me home, with Al keeping the blood bag up until it was fully drained. Only then did Ed let me take the IV needle out. He watched like a hawk as I scrubbed blood out of my hair and off my skin, changed my bandages and checked my stitches, while I complained to the best of my abilities.

"Geez, Ri," he groaned as I tugged on a pair of gray cargo pants and a black tee shirt. "You're complaining more than when you were in rehabilitation."

"Well, actually," I said with a snide smile as I slipped on a pair of toilet slippers Izumi leant me, "I was too busy cursing and screaming to be complaining."

"That should count as complaining!"

"Nope!" I grinned as I picked up a bucket filled to the brim with water. "Now, let's get down to business. I don't think Al like being covered in blood as much as I did."

Ed switched on the porch light, and we got to work. I wormed myself inside of Al's armor, scrubbing away at the caked blood, careful not to smudge the blood seal.

"That Greed guy had the Orouboros tattoo on his hand," Ed finally said.

"Orouboros?" Armstrong was somewhere off to my right.

"Remember me telling Lieutenant Colonel Hughes about it in the hospital?"

"If I remember," I piped in, "they're people who have something to do with the Philosopher's Stone."

"Hughes…" Armstrong murmured. I poked my head out, only to be dragged out by him. He clapped his hands on either of mine and Ed's shoulders. "Edward Elric, Ericka Celtix…don't do anything reckless."

"A…alright," I said slowly.

"Yeah," Ed said, just as surprised as me.

Armstrong stood, heading for the main street. I shrugged, turning around so that my tip half was lying in Al.

"Brother, I got back my memories of the night when I was taken," Al said slowly.

"So…I guess I should say that I got the memories back of when I was first taken too, right?" I asked, scrubbing away.

"How was it?" Ed asked.

"Well…" Al began. "It was kinda weird." He began wiggling around, knocking me back and forth inside of him.

"Hey! Watch it! Ow! Dammit! AL, STOP MOVING!"

"I couldn't find anything about human transmutation," he said.

"Me either," I murmured. "All Truth said to me was that I was getting a second chance at life, and to enjoy it while it lasted."

"What do you think that means?" Ed asked as I pulled myself out of Al, rubbing at the bruises.

"I see," he said kindly, picking up his bucket of water as Al snapped his chest plate back on. "In the end, no progress at all…"

"Not really," I said, picking up my bucket of bloody water, keeping the towel I was using draped over my shoulder. "Remember what the Fuhrer President said to us? That there have been disquieting activities in the military?"

"Yeah, and he said something about the people with the Orouboros tattoos and the Philosopher's Stone," Al said. "He said he wanted to catch them for a reason, right?"

"Greed had that tattoo," Ed said, planting a hand on his hip. "If so, why did he feel the need to kill them all? If he really wanted to know what they were up to, shouldn't he have captured them and interrogated them?"

"You're right," Al said.

"And besides," I piped in, "it's strange that the Fuhrer President himself was on the battlefield when there weren't that many enemies."

"Yeah," Ed agreed. "Everything just seems too fishy." He glanced back at me. "Guess we'll stick with the army for a little while longer then."

"Like I said when we decided this was our path. I'm sticking with you through thick and thin." I grinned at him. "Now…with you standing with your hand on your hip…you tryin' to tell me something here?"

"_S-SHUT UP!_"

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**Muse: Ah, this was a lovely chapter.**

**Ri: I didn't like it...I always get the crap beaten out of me!**

**Muse: So...where were you with Ed before?**

**Ri: He needed help getting something.**

**Muse: Did I sense a bit of evasiveness in that sentence?**

**Ri: No! Now, before she says anything else, REVIEW!**

**Muse: But I'm not done-**

**Ri: YOU ARE!  
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	13. Chapter XII: Envoy From the East

**I'm sooooooo sorry! I'm such an unfaithful Muse -sniff- I've been so preoccupied with finishing World History homework, volleyball, and The Art of Crossdressing, that I've nearly forgotten my dear Whitewood! Can you find it in your hearts to forgive your Muse? If you can, I will lovel you! Anywho, before I give you my disclaimer, I want to dedicate this chapter to Shanise, and her OC's guest appearance Amayrani Chou. Enjoy, Shanise-chan! Now, Rani, you wanna do my disclaimer for me? -puppy dog look-**

**Rani: Why? Is this something you do often?**

**Ri: She does this when she's bored. Ignore her, and she'll do it herself.**

**Rani: Then no, I don't.**

**Ed: Chocolate's involved!**

**Ri: I'll do it! She really hopes she doesn't have to say it, but she is no cow-lady, therefore she isn't Arakawa-sensei. All she owns is $.02, some lint, and, of course, little ol' me!**

**Muse: And read The Art of Crossdressing!**

**Ri: NO! AND WHERE'S MY CHOCOLATE, DAMMIT?  
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**Chapter Thirteen**

**Envoy From the East**

Rush Valley. Boom Town of the Broken Town. Home to the next scariest woman I knew. "Ed, she's gonna kill you," I said sympathetically, watching Ed practically sweat under fire. Experimentally, I flexed the fingers on my right hand. The wrist was a little worn down from the wire, but other than that, it was still functioning. Even so, she'd brain me with her wrench for so much as scuffing the damn metal…

"Atelier Garfiel," I said, pointing to a shop down the street from us. "that's where Winry works now."

"And she's right outside," Ed moaned. As soon as we were in earshot, he planted on the most fake smile in the world. "Hey, Winry!"

She turned to face us, grinning widely, "Ed, Al, Ri!" she greeted.

"How are you doing this fine day?" Ed asked, still grinning.

"What brings you three here all of a sudden?"

Smiling sheepishly, I held up my hand, at the same time Ed held up his entire arm.

The world practically exploded as Winry's wrench repeatedly slammed into my skull, all with the intent to kill.

"Geez," she finally said, after dragging me inside, "Rani, go and get Mister Garfiel's solvent to patch up those wear lines."

I turned, gazing at a small Amestrian girl. She had black hair, some light brown decorating the edges, brownish-lavender eyes that looked relatively Xingese, but she seemed to carry herself with the same acrobatic grace that I sometimes had.

She nodded silently to Winry as she tended to Ed, rubbing something that smelled and looked like tar and rotten eggs on my wrist. "So where are you from?" I asked, glancing up at her.

"Xing," she said simply, finished with her work. "I'm working for Miss Rockbell to repay my debt to her."

"Debt?" I glanced at Winry, who was bent over Ed.

"Rani, there's no debt," she said tiredly, finished bandaging up Ed's arm, switching her glare to me. "The two of you are covered in bandages. What the hell happened to you two?"

I let out a nervous laugh. "Just a little…" I glanced at Ed, "—altercation?" He nodded hurriedly. "—altercation. Nothing to worry about."

Winry looked at my oddly, obviously knowing that I was lying straight through my teeth. She finally sighed, "Anyway, Paninya stopped pickpocketing, and now she repairs roofs, and works on all sorts of high altitude construction projects."

"Wow…" Al sighed, obviously impressed.

"And I know you're lying to me!" Winry snapped, turning to us. "But that's besides the point. Any progress?"

"Well, we're taking the long way, but…"

"We're slowly making our way," Ed said with a heavy sigh, sitting up at the same time I did.

"If you don't count the missteps, the falls, doubling back, falling again on our asses, getting blindfolded, spun around three times, and being set to wander in dizzy circles," I said with a shrug, ignoring Al's pointed look and Ed's glare, "yep. We're making progress alright."

"That's good to hear," she said, checking over my wrist. "There! Temporary repairs are complete."

"Thanks!"

"Win, you're a lifesaver!"

"Don't start calling me a lifesaver yet, Ri. Ed's parts aren't in stock, and I still need one last piece to your new automail."

"New automail?"

"_NEW AUTOMAIL FOR HER?_"

"_Yes_, Ed. I've been working on lighter quality metal, and I want Ri to try it out first."

"Thanks, Winry!" I said with a happy wave, watching Ed purchase a glass of juice moodily from some stand.

"Geez," Ed complained, "what's there to do here? There are only automail shops…"

"At least I think they're still scared of you from when you nearly broke their heads when those old perverts tried to take off my pants," I said, still trying to contain my excitement. Lighter automail! I might just develop a little more yet! I turned around, looking for Al. Where the hell could a seven foot tall suit of armor go off to?

"Al…" Ed said warningly. I finally spotted Al crouched in front of an alley.

"Brother…" Al called back, that begging tone in his voice. I glanced at Ed, the same thought rocketing straight through our minds.

Cat.

"Al, not _another_ one!" I said with a heavy sigh, dragging myself over to him.

"Um…not exactly," he said, holding up…

A person.

"…Hungry…" he moaned. His hair was long, pulled back into ponytail, and he wore a yellow jacket and white pants.

"Well?" I said, supporting the stranger with an arm around his waist, "Where's the nearest café?"

Ed looked like he was about to protest, but I had already dragged the guy to a seat in a nearby café.

And after three courses, the weirdo finally came around.

"I'm alive!" he said happily, before smirking at me, "And to think I was rescued by a woman of such beauty and kindness." He turned back to Ed, ignoring his furious look. "And thanks for the food, too!"

"Did I say anything about paying for all this?" Ed shot back snarkily.

"Don't mind such a small thing!"

"_DON'T CALL ME SMALL!_"

"He didn't, dumbass," I said, patting him on the back.

"To be cared for in a foreign land…" he sniffed, drying his eyes with a handkerchief with a panda on it. "I'm so thankful."

"Foreign land?" Al echoed, all while I kept my hands on Ed's shoulders so he wouldn't leap across the table. "So you're not from here?"

"Yep!" the stranger said happily. "I'm from Xing!"

"The country across the Great Desert?" I piped in. It was impossible to cross. How he even made it across alive…All at once, I felt a sharp sense of appreciation for the stranger.

"That's right!" he said. "Crossing that desert was like walking through hell!"

"Why did you take that route?" Al asked.

"Because I wanted to see the ruins of Xerxes!"

"Xerxes?" Ed echoed. "I heard there's nothing there."

"Oh, just a bit of research," he said. "I came to this country for an Eastern-alchemy related research, too."

"Eastern alchemy?" I asked.

"Oh right! You call it alchemy here! The alchemy in my country is used predominantly for medical purposes."

"Different customs, I guess," I murmured, resting my chin on my palm, "It's used mostly for war here…Skirmishes are still breaking out along out borders continuously…"

"Aerugo to the south, and Creta to the west," Ed finished for me.

"The Briggs Mountain Range is the only thing that's keeping us away from war with Drachma. That, and the non-aggression pact we've signed with them."

"Sounds like a scary country to be in," the stranger said, looking disgusted. He smirked at me again, "Why don't you come back to Xing with me?"

"No thanks," I said dismissively as Ed all but tried to kill the Xingese boy in front of us by glaring. "I like being in Amestris. Besides, this country's become so war-oriented after King Bradley rose to power."

"But I have a question," Al interrupted, "about this Eastern Alchemy that's used for healing."

"Me too!" me and Ed piped in.

"You three are alchemists?" he asked, glancing at me doubtfully.

"Yeah," Ed said, jerking his thumb at me, "that's Ericka Celtix, a State Alchemist. And I'm Edward Elric, also a State Alchemist."

"And I'm Alphonse Elric, Ed's younger brother," Al introduced finally.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Ling Yao!" Ling stood, holding his hand out to us to shake. We clasped hands.

"The pleasure's ours!" Ed said with a grin.

"Can you teach us more about your Eastern Alchemy in detail?" I asked hopefully.

"Can't!" Ling said with a smile. "I don't know Alkehestry!"

"_Then why the hell are you here if you don't know alchemy?_"

"Oh, just a little something," he answered. "You guys might know something about it. The Philosopher's Stone."

We froze.

"See, I really want it." He smirked at us, propping his chin on his clenched fist. "Do you know anything on it?"

"Nope," Ed said, standing, taking me by the hand. "Can't say we do."

"Seems like you do." He snapped his fingers.

At once, two masked men dropped from nowhere. One placed a _kunai_ knife to Ed's neck, and another slid his sword into the crack underneath Al's arm.

"Don't—" I was cut off by the sensation of something sharp jabbing me in the back, just about where my heart was.

"Care to tell me?" Ling asked.

"What do you plan on using it for?" Ed asked slowly.

"To become immortal!"

I grinned. "Seems like I'm _really_ attracting all the idiots today," I said, glancing behind me to stare into my assailant's lavender-brown eyes. "Never took _you_ for one, Rani."

Ed glanced at me in surprise. "Immortality's stupid," he muttered.

"I'm totally serious," Ling said.

"Besides," Ed interrupted, giving me a casual glance. "this doesn't exactly seem like the right attitude to have…" He blocked the _kunai _knife with his automail, and slammed his left hand into the assailant's face. He leapt into the air, slamming his foot into Ed's face.

"Ed!" I gasped, before snarling. If it was a fight they want, it's a fight they're gonna get! I spun around, slamming my fist into Rani's face. She was smart enough to dodge. From behind me, I heard the older assailant bark, "So you're going to retaliate too?" to Al. Turning, I was distracted long enough for Rani to twist my right arm behind my back, and throw me next to Ed.

"What the hell are these guys?" he snapped to me as Al landed right next to me. "Acrobats?"

"Martial artists from Xing," Al reasoned. "This might be tough…"

"Yeah," I agreed, climbing to my feet.

"But they're nothing…compared to our Teacher!"

By the time we were securely grounded, all three of them were heading straight for us. Taking Rani by her collar, I threw her into the air, gaining yet another nick on my automail. "Dammit!" I hissed through my teeth as I transmuted a wall between us. "Winry's gonna have a field day with me when I'm done here…"

With the grace of a gymnast, Rani vaulted over the wall, throwing the knife straight into my shoulder port. Sparks flew, and my arm gave a jerk. _She works for Winry! She knows where to sever wires!_ She ran, sliding straight down vertically down a drainage pipe. Metal was never my alchemic forte…

Clapping my hands, I touched them to the metal, urging my usual quarterstaff out. Rani glanced up at me in shock as I attacked, sparks flying from my frayed shoulder port. "Winry already wants to kill us for getting in so much trouble!" I barked as she parried my blow with yet another _kunai. _"Now she's gonna rip me apart for _you_!"

She didn't reply as we reached the bottom. Judging by the concrete slopes, we were in a drainage ditch. But that's all the thought time Rani gave me before she came flying at me, throwing tiny needles like threatening projectiles. I cursed as two sunk into my left collarbone and the fleshy inside of my elbow respectfully, making my arm seize up.

"What the hell?" I barked at her. Through her mask, I could swear I saw her smirk.

"They're called _senbon_ needles," she said, holding four of the deadly projectiles up for me to view. "Depending on where I decide to throw them, and how fast you are, I could paralyze you inner flow, even kill you."

Damn…this wasn't looking too good for me as I tore both of the tiny needles out of me, earning a spurt of blood. I charged, swinging my quarterstaff wildly. She slammed her closed fist into my nose, making me stumble back. The transmuted quarterstaff rolled off somewhere where I couldn't see it. Dammit… I snarled as I charged again, catching a glancing blow with my left off of her cheek. She quickly looped her arm around mine.

"Shit!" I spat, falling onto my back, tossing her away from me as I did so. Pain radiated from my elbow, most likely from the possible hairline fracture she'd caused. "I'm really starting to hate you, you know! Demanding information on Philosopher's Stones and immortality…picking a fight with us and trying to break my arm…What the fuck are you guys up to? You and that squinty eyed bastard?"

She lunged at me, slamming her index and middle fingers into the hollow of my neck. I gagged, just managing to slam my right knee into her left shoulder. "I hit her!"

But, as all good things must come to an end, Rani slammed (again) her index and middle fingers into my stomach, my sides, and either side of my neck. Something shut down inside of me, and I flopped to the ground.

Above me, Rani sighed, turning her back on me as feeling began to slowly return to my arms. Her mistake…

Bringing my hands together, I touched them to the ground, wrapping tight stone hands around her arms, legs, and middle. Slowly climbing to my feet, I tottered over to her, ripping off her mask. Sure enough, Rani was staring back at me, blushing.

"Give me back my mask!" she barked. Damn…she almost got as pissed as me when _I'm_ pissed…

"No!" I spat, stealing her scarf to bind back my arm. "Not until you tell me what the hell you did that for!"

"My Master called me," she said slowly. "The Chou Clan and the Yao Clan are bound to protect each other if an heir is threatened. And I am loyally serving my Master." She sniffed disdainfully at me. "I can't say the same for you."

I fell back onto my ass, exhausted and sore.

"Ri!" Ed barked. Both him and Al were empty handed.

"So where are the other two?" I asked, wincing as my shoulder began sparking again.

"Took off while our backs were turned," he said. "Where's…"

"She's right…" I turned around…only to see that my trap was empty. "…there."

"Wow! You guys are strong!" Ling praised, popping up from nowhere.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I snapped. "Sending your lackeys after us?"

"So why don't you two come back to my empire and become my underlings?" Ling offered Ed and Al, before grinning at me, "And _you_ come back and become my bride?"

I yanked Ed's arm from him (ignoring the fact that he was holding it) and backhanded Ling with it. "Go throw yourself off a cliff!" I snapped again, handing Ed back his arm. He was a little busy glaring furiously at Ling. What the hell was wrong with him? Every time he tried to hit on me, he was acting like I was his, or something… Sighing, I turned to face the increasingly growing crowd. _Boys…_

"You guys certainly messed up most of town!" one storeowner barked.

"I hope you plan on paying for it," another threatened.

"Don't forget all that food, too!" the café owner said, waving the lengthy receipt in our faces.

"H-hang on a sec!" I said, backing away. "You should be talking to _them!_" I pointed threateningly to Ling, who was busy backing away.

"I no understand this country language!" he sang, dashing away. Great, now we have to pay, repair, _and_ deal with Winry killing us…

"C'mon…" I said morosely, making my way back towards the center of town. "Let's…"

Something very weird happened to me. Like what happened back in the hospital, all the color drained from my vision. Even though it was warm out, something cold settled itself in the pit of my stomach, spreading out until I felt like I was standing in the middle of Briggs in the middle of winter wearing only my underwear.

"Ri?" Ed asked, but his voice sounded like it was coming from across a chasm.

"_I'm going to keep pulling your soul until you come back to me, my little Aveumortis…"_

And then it all went dark.

…

The dull pain in my right arm was what began to wake me. Winry was arguing with Ed (as usual), who was yelling at Ling, who was being evasive on questions that I could really care less about at the moment.

"How late is it?" I asked softly, gartering everyone's attention back to me.

"Ri!" Winry gasped, sounding relieved. She rushed over to my side, immediately shoving Ed out of the way. "You're awake!"

"You make it sound like I'm dead and buried already," I muttered, sitting up. Blankets pooled around my waist. Curiously, I glanced at Ed.

"You were shivering and crying out in your sleep," he muttered, pushing me back down onto my back. "You wouldn't stop."

I flushed. Wherever I was, I wasn't conscious of it. What had happened to me? What was happening to me!

"How do you like the automail?" Winry asked.

I thoughtfully glanced down at my right arm. Swinging it experimentally, I nearly gasped. "It's _light!_" I squealed gleefully.

"No problem?" Winry asked nervously.

"Not that I can feel," I said, wiggling my fingers. Damn, was I happy! "Hey…did I hear something about Central while I was coming around?"

"Yeah," Ed said, "we're going to look something up."

"Well, I'm coming with you!" Winry said.

"What for?"

"In case Ri's arm breaks down, since it's new, and to give my regards to Mr. Hughes!"

"But don't you have work to do?" Al inquired.

"Not a problem," Garfiel tittered happily. "You need to take a breather every so often."

"Really? Thank you so much, Mr. Garfiel!"

"Well, I guess we're all headed to Central!" Ed said with a fierce grin, draping his arm around my shoulders.

"It'll be quite a trip!" Ling said from behind me, making me snarl and turn. "I'm so excited!"

"YOU'RE NOT COMING!" we howled.

* * *

**Weeeeeell? Shanise, I hope you enjoyed it! And I hope my other lovelies enjoyed it as well! Since there's really nothing else to say, since Ri's off gnawing on some chocolate, killing Ed, or...doing something else with him -evil grin- I guess all that's left is to review!**

**Rani: And check out my creator's stories!**

**Muse: and The Art of Crossdressing!  
**


	14. Chapter XIII: Footsteps of a CIA

**Wow! I must be making up for lost time!**

**Ri: Or your trying to ignore the fact that orientation is tomorrow.**

**Muse: NOOOOOOOOO! DO NOT MENTION THAT! IT IS EVIL! _EEEEEEEEEEEVIL!_**

**Ri: Um...is it normal that she should be in the corner?**

**Angie: Yep! It's her moping corner!**

**Ri: Oh, hi Angie. Long time, no see.**

**Angie: Well...I've never seen you before. Sure, I've read Whitewood, but I've never _met you_ met you.**

**Ri: Aah...well, we need someone to do the disclaimer, now that my ass of a creator is moping...**

**Angie: I'll do it! -ahem- She really hopes she doesn't have to say this, but she is no cow-lady, therefore she is not Arakawa-sensei. All she owns is $.02, some lint, and of course, Ri!**

**Ri: -mushroom sigh- I'd better go and get her out of her moping corner...**

**Muse: _MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAN... -_continues moping_-_**

**_

* * *

_Chapter Fourteen**

**Footsteps of a Comrade-In-Arms  
**

"That was so exhausting!" Ed moaned, stretching as soon as we stepped off of the train. Fantastic… he was complaining already. That could only mean it was going to get worse.

"Didn't help that those weirdos were watching us the whole time," I grumbled, rubbing at the back of my neck uncomfortably.

"Mr. Fu, Ran Fan, and Rani, right?" Winry asked, addressing Al.

"Hey!" From above us, Fu glared down, locking eyes with Ed. "Where is the young lord?"

"Um…" I spun on my heel, giving me a full three hundred and sixty degree view of the crowded station. "Did he even come off the train with us?"

"He was right behind you, touching your hair, remember?" Al pointed out.

"Could he have gone missing again?" Winry pointed out thoughtfully. At that, the three above us groaned, bowing their heads in exasperation.

"I swear…" Rani moaned. "The minute our eyes are off of him…" At once, Fu was at the front of the train.

"Young lord!" he bellowed. "Where have you gone?"

"I hope he hasn't collapsed somewhere like last time," Ran Fan fretted.

"He probably is," Rani muttered, "we'll find him before anything bad happens to him."

"Good riddance," Ed said with a sigh, stalking away with his suitcase thrown over his shoulder. "C'mon, let's go."

"Kay," I called as I passed beneath Fu, who was standing on a lamppost, still calling for Ling. "Fu! Try searching the food stalls, or alleys. He always passes out in alleys."

Of course, he ignored me, so I only shrugged, following Ed, Al, and Winry out of Central Station. All the while, Fu, Ran Fan, and Rani kept calling for Ling, trailing right…well…above us. _Moron's probably got himself killed,_ I thought, stopping when Ed did. "Well, why don't we go and say hi to the military first?" he said, glancing up at Al.

"Yeah," he agreed.

"Well, I'm going to go and visit Mr. Hughes first," Winry said. "Wanna tag along, Ri?"

"Sure," I said with a sigh, shrugging. "Give the Colonel my regards." I smiled at Winry. "I can't wait to see Mrs. Hughes and Elicia, either!"

"She has to be about three now, right?"

"She's getting so big!"

"We'll head over there after, alright?" Ed said with a soft smile.

"Seeya!" I called behind me, waving as I took off over the bridge, Winry at my heels. "Why don't we pick something up for them?" I asked as we passed through the marketplace. It felt kinda rude to intrude on them out of the blue.

"Never took you as the one to take the incentive," Winry joked, already moving over to a produce stand. I picked out a loaf of bread, and tucked it into a paper bag that the stand owner supplied, while Winry chose fruit.

"I'm a woman of many different colors," I shot straight back, grinning as we took our purchases and continued through the marketplace, towards the Hughes household. "I wonder how Hughes is doing…" I wondered as we waited to cross out of the marketplace, and into the residential area. Maybe he uncovered whatever Ed and Al wanted him to do the last time we were there.

"I hope that Elicia and Mrs. Hughes are doing okay," Winry said with an equally wide smile. I was certain we looked like a mismatched pair: Winry was tall and blonde, I was short and brunette. Sure, our eyes were similar enough, but I think that wasn't want pegged us as near sisters. Maybe it was because she was the one who gave me a reason to live again. She was the one who held my arm as I walked those steps from the mailbox to the porch, too stubborn to admit I was hurting. I could be weak around her, unlike when I was around Ed and Al, where I needed to be strong…for their sakes.

…Dammit, I was getting nostalgic all of a sudden as we neared Hughes's home. "Chief!" I heard Havoc call from behind me. He was wearing civilian clothes, which immediately weirded me out.

"I'll be right there!" I said with a small smile, proffering my bag of bread to Winry. "I'll catch up, okay?"

"Don't be late," she said with a smile, "I don't want to make excuses for you for Elicia."

I laughed at that, strolling back the way I came to Havoc. "What's up?" I asked, staring up at him.

"You going to see Gracia?" he asked. There was an odd look on his face, like he'd swallowed something bitter.

"Uh huh," I said, "Ed and Al are at headquarters saying hello. Why aren't you there?"

He nudged the basket in his arms. It was full of fresh produce. "Bringing a welcome basket to my mom," he said, "she's in visiting family."

"Then tell her I said hello, then." I looked at the basket. "You need help with that?" I offered.

"I like the Ri that's not around those two!" Havoc laughed. "I've got it. You go and see Gracia and Elicia. They need the company." Again, that bitter look came over him. Okay, something was up.

"Something wrong?" I asked. "Are any of them sick? Because if one of them are, then I'd better go and catch up with Winry and tell her we should visit another time."

"You mean to tell me that you haven't picked up a paper within the last week?" he asked, genuinely surprised. "It was all over the news…"

"Well…between fearing for our lives, getting new automail, getting the shit kicked out of us…nope, I guess not. Why? Is there something that I should know?"

"Hughes…he's dead, Ri."

Something cold settled itself in the pit of my stomach. "W…what?" I gasped. "He's…why? Why is he dead?"

"The brigadier general was murdered soon after you were released from the hospital," he said softly. "They haven't caught the perpetrator yet."

My suitcase dropped to the ground. Hughes was dead. It was my fault. He was dragged into this by us! I wasn't even aware that I had run straight passed Havoc, who was calling after me.

Hughes dead.

Elicia fatherless.

Gracia a widow.

_My fault._

A bitter sob tore from my throat as I sunk to my knees next to a dumpster. Oh god…why did it hurt so much? I would never see him again…never…I would never have to fear every shadowy corner, thinking that he'd be lurking there, armed with photos of his family. Never cringe every time I heard him joke about me and Ed 'getting together' or 'sleeping in the same room'.

"_Take care, you two. If you ever happen to be in Central, stop by."_

"_Al, you can't eat with all that armor on! Why don't you take it off?"_

"_You three don't have a place to stay, do you? Why don't you stay at my place?"_

Hughes dead.

Elicia fatherless.

Gracia a widow.

_My fault._

I fell to my hands and knees, sobbing in earnest now. Oh god…who knew…who knew this would hurt _so bad…_

I don't know how long I was there, wallowing in my hysterics. Someone was at my side, the shop owner from earlier. "Miss?" he asked, sounding worried. "Are you okay? Did someone hurt you?"

Hughes dead.

Elicia fatherless.

Gracia a widow.

_My fault._

I shook my head numbly. "I n-need you t-t-to call someone for me," I choked out, nearly breaking into fresh tears.

"I'll just need to get back to my shop. What's the number?" He had draped his jacket around my shoulders, and helped me to my feet.

"C-C-Central Headquarters. Colonel R-Roy Mustang."

"I don't think I can call in—"

"_Tell him I need him! Ri needs him!_" I had never asked for the Colonel when I was this upset. But I was barely coherent by the time he had sat me down on a fruit crate, disappearing in the back to call into Central for me.

After what seemed like forever, a black military car pulled up. I didn't see who got out, only that they picked me up like I was a small child, sliding me into the passenger seat.

"You okay, Chief?" Breda asked as he pulled down the street. "You must've been in quite the state to have a civilian call in with no credentials."

I remained silent, occasionally sniffling.

Hughes dead.

Elicia fatherless.

Gracia a widow.

_My fault._

"Ericka…"

"I need you t-to drop me off at C-Central Hotel," I hiccupped. "E-Ed should be t-there already…"

"So what was the point of having that man in there call in?"

"I d-didn't think I c-could walk…" I wanted to beat myself over the head for saying that. True, Inner Ericka was busy screaming at current, lost, little girl me to go back to my usual sarcastic self. But instead of laughing, Breda obediently pulled up outside the hotel.

"Do you need me to walk you up?" he asked.

I shook my head no, thanking him instead. He waited until I was inside before I heard the car pull away. The lobby was practically empty, the man behind the counter gaped at me, surprised at my obvious disheveled, tearstained appearance.

"Are you…Ericka Celtix?" he asked curiously.

I nodded. He handed over a room key. "There's a young man waiting for you inside, your room," he said quietly. "Said you were his baby sister."

I nodded, obediently taking the key. I made my way up to the third floor, somehow sliding the key into the lock on the fourth try. My hand was shaking horribly. I wanted nothing more then to curl up on my bed and just…

"Ri," Ed murmured softly, jumping off the couch.

I swear, in fourteen years of life, I've never cried so much before. Wave after wave of tears came, and all Ed did was hold me as I cried.

Hughes dead.

Elicia fatherless.

Gracia a widow.

_My fault._

"I didn't know it would h-hurt so m-much," I whispered. "It was o-our fault. O-our fault!"

"It's alright," he whispered. "You haven't eaten yet, have you?"

I remained silent.

"Let's go downstairs. The dining hall's going to close soon."

I gripped his hand tightly in mine. "I c-can't…"

"You won't be able to function without food…" I haven't ever seen him so kind to me before. Usually, if I was this upset and refused to eat, he would practically shove the food straight down my throat. Now he was like an alien…

"Uh h-huh…"

"I should go back to my room…" He went to leave, but I grabbed his hand again.

"W-Winry got apples for us to make apple pie for Hughes, Gracia, and Elicia," I whispered softly, thinking to the big bushel of apples Winry'd gotten at the marketplace. "Of course…it's n-nowhere as good as Mrs. Hughes's pie…"

"Don't say that," he whispered.

"But…I wanted to see what he thought if it, and now…n-now I'll n-never get the ch-chance!" The last bit came out as a sob, and I buried my head in my hands, leaving Ed dumbstruck.

Hughes dead.

Elicia fatherless.

Gracia a widow.

_My fault._

All…

My…

Fault…

…

The next morning, I was sitting in Ed's room. Winry was kneeling on the floor, polishing Al's armor. I was sitting in the chair, my knees pulled up to my chest, feeling miserable. All the while, those same thoughts that plagued me all night wheeled around my head.

Hughes dead.

Elicia fatherless.

Gracia a widow.

_My fault._

"Now that I'm up close, I can see you're really scratched up," Winry mused. "Not an easy journey, huh?" She paused. "What are you going to do now?" She turned especially to me, looking over my automail with a critical eye.

We both remained silent. I was gazing at the wall across from me, feeling oddly detached from my surroundings.

Hughes dead.

Elicia fatherless.

Gracia a widow.

_My fault._

Ed told me last night that Elicia had said, "Momma, don't cry," to Gracia when they left. It was all my fault. Gracia was crying because _we_ dragged Hughes into it.

"What do you want us to do?" Ed asked softly.

That earned a look from both me and Winry.

"What?"

"You've never asked me for advice about something concerning yourselves before," Winry pointed out, before returning to my arm. "The three of you…you're all fighting in a place so dangerous, that Mr. Hughes was killed for it. And I got really scared…because you three could die. Just like Mom and Dad…"

Mr. and Mrs. Rockbell. Another couple in a long line of people who came into contact with me and died. My shoulders sank.

Sara and Urey Rockbell.

Maes Hughes.

Trisha…

_Mom…_

I felt like a bad penny. I kept turning up. Who else would die as consequence of me living? Scratch that. Who else would die because _I got a second chance in exchange for half my soul?_ I just wanted to run away…live in some secluded area of Amestris so no one would suffer because of me. Maybe I should just leave the country.

_You'd be leaving Ed and Al._

_You'd be leaving Winry._

_Granny._

_Havoc and Breda._

_The Colonel…_

_You love Ed._

I stalled. Alright…that last thought was grief-induced. Not in hell. _Not in __**hell**__._

"To be honest," Winry continued, "I want you three to end your journey. I want you three to get your bodies back. But I don't want you three to go on a dangerous journey."

"I want it to end too," I murmured. "But we can't…because…" I exhaled, staring at my new automail. "Because I want you two to get your bodies back more than anything." I glanced at Ed and Al.

I don't know if I was seeing things…but I think I saw Ed smile.

Winry left the room, leaving me engulfed in my notes, flipping through my journal. Philosopher's Stones, tattoos of Orouboros. Homunculi… I sighed. "Hey, Ed," I called, drawing his attention. "How are all of these—"

"_Brother, Ri!_" Al cried, sending me into a tumble onto the ground.

"Dammit Al!" I groaned.

"Look at this…" He shoved the newest edition of _The Central Times_ into my face. Menial news…at least, from what I could see on the side Al gave to me. Although, in bold letters, I could see one word:

_MURDER._

I opened the page.

_Second Lieutenant Maria Ross convicted on the charge of first degree murder in the case of Brigadier General Hughes._

"What the hell is this?" I spat. "Lieutenant Ross wouldn't do this! She rescued me from the alley, remember?"

I stood, not even bothering to pull on my jacket. I stormed out of the room, down the stairs, and into the lobby. "I don't believe this. Maybe the Colonel, or Lieutenant Hawkeye will know something about it."

"Brother, won't you tell Winry?" Al asked.

"I'll tell her later," he said, just as furious as me at the moment.

It was dark by the time we were halfway to headquarters. That's when we came across Ling, a suit of armor, and Ross.

"Second Lieutenant Ross!" I called. All at once, my fury drained away. I felt lost. Confused. _Vulnerable. _

"Edward! Ericka! Alphonse!" Ross cried, sounding relieved.

"Hey!" both Al and the other suit of armor were pointing at each other. "You're that guy from—"

"And Ling too?" Ed shouted.

"What are you guys up to?"

"_That's what we should be asking!_"

"We don't have time!" the other suit of armor began attacking Al. Thought left me as Al flipped back, dodging the thick butcher knives that the other suit of armor was using against him.

"You…" the armor groaned. "Lady, go straight down that alley to the warehouse district! It's dark enough down there for you to make your escape."

"Wait! Second Lieutenant Ross!" I made a step forward. "About Lieutenant Colonel Hughes…"

She stopped, locking eyes with me.

"Hurry up!" the armor barked. "If the military police find you, they'll shoot you dead!"

"Wait!" I called, running after her. Behind me, I could hear the other suit of armor shouting, "Don't follow her!" and Ed practically screaming, "_ERICKA, GET YOUR ASS BACK OVER HERE!_"

"Second Lieutenant, wait!" I called. She didn't stop. She continued, like the other suit of armor said, straight down the alley, almost out of sight. "Please!"

"Maria Ross, I presume?" Was that Mustang? I put on another bust of speed, slipping in a puddle of drainage, and onto my stomach. Blood welled out of scrapes down my hand and elbow. There was a bright bloom of fire…

And I watched as the alley was engulfed in flames.

Ahead of me, apathetic, Mustang gazed down at me, like I was some street urchin who'd stumbled onto something disgusting.

"Ri!" Ed gasped, finally arriving in the alley. He too was focused on the charred…_thing_ right in front of us. But I was the one stuck in the past.

_Fire…_

_Heat…_

_Screaming…_

"Mom…" I whispered softly. I'd never seen what my mother looked like, if anything at all was pulled from our house. But I was pretty much certain it looked like that.

"Hello, Fullmetal, Whitewood," he said, voice cold, deadpanned.

"You…what is the meaning of this_?_" Ed barked.

"W-why?" I whispered. "Why? Lieutenant Colonel Hughes…why would she…she wouldn't!"

"Why didn't you tell me in the first place!" Ed roared, grabbing the Colonel by the front of his jacket.

There was a flash of white, and Ed was on the ground, his cheek swelling from the punch delivered by the Colonel. "Ed!" I cried, scrambling to my feet, dropping to his side. Hot rage bubbled up inside of me. "You…_bastard!_" I screeched, launching myself at the man before me.

He gripped me by my left hand, and backhanded me with his right. I dropped to my knees, too stunned for words. _Never…_ the Colonel would _never…_

"Attacking your superior?" he asked, straightening his jacket. "Know your place!"

The only thing that stopped Ed from attacking was Al, who wrapped his metal arms tight around his middle. "Brother, no!" he cried.

"_You __**never EVER**__hit __**MY **__baby sister on __**MY**__ watch!_" he roared. "Let go of me, Al!"

"No!"

"That bastard just killed Second Lieutenant Ross and backhanded Ri!"

Al gasped, "Colonel, what is this?"

"There was a kill-on-sight order for Second Lieutenant Maria Ross," he said coldly, "I was following orders. That's all there is to it."

"'All there is to it?'" I whispered harshly. "You…fucking…_bastard!_"

"I do apologize for hiding Hughes's death. But do not object to orders. Do not seek explanation. Obey. That's what it means to be a soldier."

"We're not soldiers!" I growled.

"You are a State Alchemist, Whitewood," Mustang barked, "therefore, you are a soldier."

"And what the fuck do you think you're going to do about it?" I climbed to my feet, wiping the blood that was dripping down my chin from the slap. "Hit me again? That's child abuse, you bastard!"

But he didn't do anything. Al tugged me down to sit on his lap, reminding me of the time where he wouldn't let me out of his arms after Nina was turned into a chimera. Ed was next to me, staring at his lap, squeezing my hand, more of an assurance to himself that he wouldn't attack then comfort for me. Cameras flashed, we were interrogated (well, Ed refused to let anyone from Legal question me), and finally, Ross's body was zipped up into a canvas bag to be taken for autopsy.

And all the while, Ed glared with all the hate in the world up at Mustang.

We followed with Armstrong to the hospital, waiting outside autopsy with him. Of course, Al kept his tight grip on me, and for once, I didn't protest.

"I'm truly sorry about not telling you about Brigadier General Hughes's death," he was apologizing.

"Because of me…" I heard Ed whisper. I let my hand drift down to touch the top of his head reassuringly.

"Don't brood over it," Armstrong rumbled. "It's not your fault."

The doors behind us opened, and we turned to see an aging man in bloody scrubs walk out. "So you're all here," he said, chewing on a tooth pick.

"Dr. Knox," Armstrong greeted.

Dr. Knox consulted his chart. "The damage is extensive," he reported, "but due to her teeth being almost perfectly intact, we were able to positively identify her as Maria Ross. Terrible…turning a beauty like that into charcoal." He glanced up at Mustang, who I wasn't even aware was behind us. "You must've really had something against her, Mustang."

Mustang barely acknowledged him. He remained seated on the chair, glancing up at Knox. "Are you satisfied that you were able to avenge your friend's death?"

He looked away, disgusted.

"Disgusts me to see that a hero of the Ishvalan Civil War would go so far against a girl." Knox walked away. Mustang too stood, but a word from Armstrong stopped him in his tracks.

"I want to apologize for what my subordinate did," he growled. "I had no idea that Maria Ross would murder…" His shoulders began shaking. "She's always been honest… hardworking… and thoughtful…" I don't think I've ever seen the Major so hate-filled. He sat down, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You look exhausted, Major," Mustang said, still as deadpanned as earlier. "Why not take a vacation? Eastern Headquarters, where I used to be stationed, was nice. It lacks the bustle of the big cities, and the women are beautiful."

Ed snarled at the Colonel's retreating back. At the moment, I could really care less. He kicked over a trash can.

Back at the hotel, I was laying next to Ed on the couch, while Winry sat on the couch opposite us. He was ruffling my hair softly, keeping his automail against my still swollen cheek. A knock at the door drew us back to it, however.

"Wonder who it could be at this hour…" I wondered, working my jaw experimentally as Ed opened it.

"Hel—" It was Armstrong…ready to punch…

"Major!" I cried warningly as Ed went skidding across the floor, me joining him a moment later. "Why did you do that all of a sudden?"

"Edward Elric, Ericka Celtix…" Somehow…I don't know how… he managed to lift us both up in one hand, expecting our automail. "Oh no. Your automail is broken."

"Wha…?"

"Yes, this is a serious situation." He planted us back on our feet. I glanced down at my automail with a skeptical eye as he continued speaking. Besides a fist sized dent in the grille, there was nothing wrong with it. "We must get it fixed right away. I shall escort you to Resembool!"

"Uh…our mechanic is just inside," Ed said, jerking his thumb to the room.

"What?" Winry asked, poking her head out of the door.

"We're going back to Resembool?" Al asked.

"Uh…" I tried.

"Alphonse Elric, you stick out too much!" Armstrong boomed. "You stay in Central!"

Before I knew it, Armstrong had grabbed us both by the backs of our shirts, and was dragging us down the hall. "Let us make our arrangements immediately!"

"_Dammit, Major!_" I cried, squirming. _"Our mechanic—ow!—is right over—dammit, stop KICKING me, Ed!—there!"_

Apparently, we were struggling so much, that he ended up tucking us underneath his arm. "Can you cut it out already, Major?" Ed groaned.

"No can do, Edward Elric," he rumbled. "This is an order."

* * *

**Angie: Well...since my friend the Muse is still moping...you've got me here to do your other monologue! -applause- Well, Ri's off trying to goad Muse out of her moping corner with chocolate and pocky-**

**Ri: Should she be sprouting mushrooms out of her head?**

**Angie: No! -thoughtful- She's beginning to sprout...**

**Ri: Uh... -blushes- dammit... -dramatic mushroom sigh- Me and Ed. Locked closet. _Alone_.**

**Muse: -perks up- Do I smell oneshot?**

**Ri: NO! O/O  
**

**Angie: -controlling a nosebleed- Well, now that she's out of her moping corner, I guess I'll be off! So all that's left to say is review, and read The Art of Crossdressing!  
**


	15. Chapter XIV: The Hand of a Human

**Wow! Chapter Fifteen already? And as of now...Whitewood stands at 277 pages and 65,783 words! And with all the lovely reviews, I'm so glad that this has become so popular and successful! **

**Ri: It's because you have no life!**

**Muse: I do _so_ have a life! It's not my fault I was banned from the Barnes and Nobles... Twitards -shudder-**

**Ri: Did you _have _to slap them with Deathly Hallows?**

**Muse: It was soft cover! And they were sissies! You would've killed them!  
**

**Ri: Not!**

**Muse: To!**

**Ri: _Not!_**

**Muse: _To!_**

**Ed: Sorry Ri, it's true.**

**Ri: _ED!_**

**Muse: Well, while they go and kill each other, time for your disclaimer! I really hope I didn't have to say this, but I am no cow-lady, therefore I am not Arakawa-sensei. All I own is $.02, some lint, and, of course, Ericka.**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Fifteen**

**The Palm of a Human**

I didn't sleep at all on the train to Resembool. Nerves, grief, or something else, twenty three hours passed with me keeping my head on Ed's shoulder, watching the big concrete structures I grew used to seeing slowly thin to wooden frame houses clustered in little hamlets, the occasional stone cottage, and just a big plot of _nothing_ as far as the eye could see.

"Resembool!" the conductor finally called as the train pulled into Resembool station near noon the next day. "Now arriving in Resembool."

Without further ado, the Major gathered his jacket, and led us both out off of the train, and into the village proper. "So what exactly are that bastard's orders?" I asked, unable to keep the contempt from my voice. "Can't you tell us anything?"

"I don't know the details either," he said, continuing to walk without looking at us. "I was only told to bring you two to Resembool to meet with the others."

" 'Others'?" Ed echoed.

"I think 'others' means one Second Lieutenant Breda," I said, pointing. Sure enough, the lieutenant had stood from his seat on the stone wall, saluting smartly. A blush came to my face as I thought to how helpful he'd been to me two days before.

"Good day, Major Armstrong," he called. He grinned, raising two fingers in a mock salute, "And…hey, Boss and Mini-Hawkeye."

Ed immediately took on the appearance of a small child who had just burned himself, and was just beginning to feel the pain. "Second Lieutenant Breda?"

"I don't like being compared to Lieutenant Hawkeye," I complained.

"Well, stop moaning," Breda said, patting me on the back in a rare display of affection. "We've got a while to go."

"What?" Ed crowed as Breda led us straight down the country road.

"You heard me, Boss," he said as we found ourselves on the edge of Resembool, staring into open desert. "Now, get on a horse."

I scrutinized the horses as Ed pulled on a thin beige overcoat. "Um…Mr. Han?" I pointed out, my own overcoat draped over my arm. "Why are there only four horses?"

The Xingese man looked at me, then at the other four of them, and then back to me. "I suppose you will just have to share with someone," he said evenly.

"Something tells me I wasn't supposed to come," I muttered, picking selectively at my pajama shorts as I pulled on my own overcoat, swinging myself up on the saddle to sit behind Ed. Of course, there was some hesitation as I wrapped my arms around his waist, settling in.

"Just don't fall off," Ed said with a grin, reaching behind me to tug up my hood.

"Are we ready?" Mr. Han asked. At our nods, he set off at a trot, to which we followed. I sighed heavily, resting my chin on his shoulder. Exhaustion coupled with a wired twenty three hours sitting on a straight-backed train bench was beginning to tire me out.

Soon, the steady trot of the horse beneath me, the growing warmth, and Ed's steady breathing in my ear had lulled me to sleep.

…

"…almost there?"

I let out a tiny whine, burrowing my head further into the shoulder in front of me. I felt like I was practically baking. My automail was cooking in the sun, despite the cotton overcoat that was given to me earlier.

"…Walking for a while…" Alright, that was Breda. How long had we been walking? I'd definitely fallen asleep at some point…

"…Xerxes…" At the name of the ancient city that was wiped out in a single night, I glanced up at Mr. Han, who was pointing to a few pillars sticking out of the sand. Further ahead, I could see the ruins of Xerxes. Remarkably preserved, pillars and buildings still stood, archways of doors still standing. The only thing I cared about, however, was the pool of water in the middle of what I guess was a plaza.

I sighed gratefully as I sunk into the cold water. _Nothing_ ever felt so good in my life.

"Whew," Ed sighed. "I almost burned myself with my automail…" He glared at me. "How did you _sleep_ through that?" He must've seen the bags underneath my eyes, because then I was staring him in the face. "Please…tell me that you slept on the train."

"Uh…I slept on the train?" I said, smiling shyly.

"Ri…" he warned.

"Alright, alright! I didn't!"

"_How do you expect to function without sleeping and eating?_"

"_It's not like I didn't PLAN on not sleeping or eating!_"

"_I'LL PUT YOU DOWN FOR A DAMN DIRT NAP!"_

I growled and lunged, taking him down underneath me, my hands wrapped around his neck tightly. _"DIE, ELRIC!"_

"Chief!" Breda warned, seeing that we were beginning to startle the horses…and were coming close to drowning each other…and that half the water was out of the fountain. I sighed, reluctantly letting Ed up as I stepped out of the fountain, wringing my hair between both of my hands.

"Pass me my shorts, Ed?" I asked, reaching behind me as I readjusted the tube top I'd borrowed from Winry.

"_Please_ tell me your putting on your tank top?" he said with a heavy sigh, begrudgingly handing over my black pajama bottoms.

"It's _hot_," I whined, tugging on the shorts, sitting down on the fountain's edge to zipper my boots. "Toss me the overcoat."

"Not until you put on the tank top!"

"Then I'll get it myself!" I walked over to my discarded overcoat, pulling it on. Geez…what was _with _him? A few weeks ago, he wouldn't care if I walked down the middle of Main Street in Central during rush hour stark naked. Now he was worried about me wearing Winry's borrowed tube top and my pajama shorts? Alright…the shorts _did_ come midthigh, but they weren't _that short!_ I pulled my hair back off of my neck, and wound it into a bun. "So this is Xerxes…" I mused as Ed shook out his shirt. "Hey…didn't we read about the Sage from the East who came from Xerxes?"

"Sage of the East?" Fu asked. I wasn't even aware that he was here.

"Yeah," Ed said, turning to him. "It's a fairy tale of the alchemist who introduced alchemy to our country."

"It's a legend about the sole survivor of the destruction of Xerxes," I said, thinking to the golden haired, golden eyed man of legend, "the civilization that was destroyed in a single night, and how he came to Amestris, just recently founded at the time, and spread alchemy to its people."

"In our country," Fu said, "there's a legend stating that a man with hair of wheat and eyes like the sun arrived from the west with a man with hair like the bark of the darkest trees, and eyes cut from the star strewn sky. Our Alkehestry is a combination of the skills that they brought with them, and ancient Xingese technology."

"Oh, the one who developed the method of healing?" Ed asked, his shirt slung over his shoulder casually. "But it doesn't mention anything about another man accompanying the Sage in our legend."

"Yes, and we refer to him with the greatest respect," Fu said, his eyes fixed firmly on us. It was obvious that he was ignoring most of what Ed was saying. "He is our Sage of the West."

"Maybe the two Sages are two different people," I pointed out. It was what made the most sense. But what of the apprentice in Fu's legend? Hair like the bark of the darkest trees, and eyes cut from the star strewn sky…why did that seem so familiar to me?

Fu began to lead us further into the ruins. Many of the roads were still intact, so there wasn't much problem walking. Some stone slabs and pillars had fallen into the path, to which Ed insisted on helping me up over them.

"_Because I wanted to see the ruins of Xerxes!" _That's what Ling had said was his reason for traversing the desert.

"But I wonder if it is truly possible for them to have been destroyed in a single night, despite having such advanced technology," Armstrong continued. We were now in a gigantic antechamber. Far above us, sunlight streamed in through hollow windows, and caved in ceilings. Ed's attention was drawn elsewhere, but that didn't stop him from keeping a tight grip on my flesh hand.

"It could just be legend."

Ed stopped, drawing my attention with a silent point off to the left. Above everything else, remaining etched into the crumbled, moss coated wall, was a mural: a five pointed upside down pentagon, each point defined by a faceted sun. Remaining outside the pentagon was the remains of a circle, defined by even smaller suns around the circumference. In the middle was what looked like the lion on the Amestrian State Flag.

"What are you doing?" Fu called back to us. It was obvious that they'd realized we'd stopped walking. "This way."

We both spared one last look at the mural. Certainly, and I was positive the same thought was going through Ed's head; I wanted to stay and get a better look. Instead, I called, "Coming!" over my shoulder, and ran to catch up.

We were walking even deeper into the tiered city ruins, now almost entirely in shadow. "We're going pretty deep into the ruins," Ed mused.

"Edward! Ericka!" a woman called from high above us. She was wearing an identical beige overcoat.

"_Why not take a vacation? Eastern Headquarters, where I used to be stationed, was nice. It lacks the bustle of the big cities, and the women are beautiful."_

I was smiling widely as me and Ed hugged, right out of happiness. "That ass of a colonel!" I laughed, before realizing that we were holding each other a little _too_ familiarly. I backed away blushing.

Besides us, Armstrong had already stripped off his shirt, tears running down his face, sparkles accompanying him. "_SECOND LIEUTENANT ROSS!_" he sobbed, beginning to chase after her. "_Come and accept my embrace!_"

"I'll pass!"

"Second Lieutenant!"

Me, Ed, and Breda just stood, watching the chase, grinning impossibly wide. I knew the colonel wasn't that big of a heartless bastard.

"There's no telling when we'd get caught if a dead person was walking around the country," Breda said, "so we had her flee."

"So the colonel knew Second Lieutenant Ross was innocent?" Ed asked.

"Wait…so if _that's'_ Second Lieutenant Ross…" I said, pointing at the woman who was still running from Armstrong. "Who was the crispy critter?"

Breda began recounting the story. Apparently, the Colonel knew that Ross was going to be framed for a murder that she didn't commit. The other suit of armor, a former serial killer called Barry, offered to break Ross out of prison to save her from facing the firing squad. He'd also saved Ling, who was arrested for being an illegal alien (It was at that point that I snorted into my hand). Mustang had transmuted a corpselike creature for him to burn when he cornered Ross in the alley. She'd escaped through a hole into the next alley, hidden by the dumpster we had been sitting next to.

"While Barry was helping Ms. Ross break out of jail," Fu was explaining. I was sitting down next to Ed, "he made a deal with the young lord. And the young lord commanded me to escort her out east. And we promised him we'd meet here to set the Second Lieutenant free."

"I see," Armstrong said thoughtfully, crossing his arms.

"I still don't like it," Ed said, leaning forward, smirking at Breda, "this means that the bastard colonel—"

"—pulled a fast one on us!" I laughed, slapping my knee. "Never thought I'd see the day!"

"It was better to have you see her alive and well," Breda explained, "then try to explain it in words."

"I know, I know," Ed said, smirking, waving his hands. "The colonel is totally right this time."

"Wow…never thought I'd here you say _those_ words," I joked.

"I _also _recall him saying that, "Having a pissed-off brat, and a flat-chested little girl straight in the middle of PMS would just be a total nuisance to the mission!""

"_THAT DAMNED COLONEL!_" I howled, glaring down at my tiny chest. "_IT'S NOT __**THAT FLAT**__, GODDAMMIT!_"

"What is this mission?" Armstrong asked. "Is there something else to do aside from rescuing Second Lieutenant Ross?"

"Yes," Breda said, grinning, "We decided to fish out the mastermind who's hiding in the military."

"_NEXT TIME I SEE HIM—_" Ed's head-slap drew me immediately back to the conversation.

"Fish out?" Ed echoed.

"Barry, who knows the secret behind Lab 5, went out and made a mess," he said, "They'll definitely come to shut him up for good."

"I really have nothing to do with this, do I?" Ross moaned, sighing heavily. "Philosopher's Stones…homunculi… I wonder why I was dragged into this."

Armstrong was busy sketching in his notebook the image of a woman with thick black hair, a seductive smile on her face, and really…_really_ big ones… On the ground already were sketches of the palmtree guy, Greed, the transmutation circle Ed had seen in Lab 5, and the Orouboros tattoo.

"Now we have quite a bit of information," Breda said, consulting his notebook. "If we discover the truth behind the murder of Brigadier General Hughes, the situation will change, too."

"We'll definitely prove that you were falsely accused," Armstrong said to Ross.

"Lieute—" I murmured softly, staring at my hands, "—Brigadier General Hughes…he's really…really gone, isn't he?" I could feel myself beginning to cry again, even as Ed placed his hand on my back comfortingly.

"What do you plan to do now?" Armstrong asked.

"We have someone who's willing to collaborate with us," Ed said, "even though we've committed the taboo…"

_Teacher._

"We also have someone who'll scold and support us."

_Winry._

"I have a younger brother who I made a promise with…to return to our bodies…"

_Al…_

"I have a baby sister…who might not be our blood, but deserves us more than anything…"

Me…he was talking about me. A flush formed on my cheeks.

"We also have no place to return to. And with that said—"

"Neither of us have a chance to run," I interrupted. "We have to—"

"—Move forward in a way that won't cause any more death. And if it seems like someone's going to be victimized, I'll protect them." That hard look had returned to his eyes. It was the same overprotective look he always seemed to get whenever I'd get bullied at school for being an orphan, or if I was getting hurt in front of him. "It may be difficult. It's hard enough keeping my own head, and protecting other's, too. It may be arrogant of me, but this is the only thing I can think of."

"It's not arrogant!" I protested. "Ed, you can't stop being you. You were the one who told me…" I paused, already hearing his yells in my ears, "…You were the one who told me to get up and walk when I wouldn't! You can't stand seeing people hurting, so you…be you, and we'll keep moving forward."

"Then that's what we'll do," he said with a thin grin. "We'll keep moving forward."

Everyone seemed satisfied by that, "Second Lieutenant Ross," Armstrong said, turning to Ross, "what do you plan on doing now?"

"I plan on going to Xing," she said with a small smile.

At sunset, we gathered on the opposite side of the ruins, watching the Second Lieutenant pat the muzzle of her horse. "Should I at least inform your parents?" Armstrong offered.

"No," she answered. "If it happens that me being alive is leaked from my parents, the damage would be irreparable."

"I see."

"Major Armstrong, Second Lieutenant Breda. Please pass a message to the Colonel for me. 'I greatly appreciate you saving me. ' Ask him to order me back in an emergency." She saluted. "I will gladly risk my life to assist him if the need calls."

"I will."

Ed and I went to salute her, but Ross stuck her hand out to us. "Take care, Edward, Ericka," she said with a wide smile.

"We never did get you back for that slap," I said with a grin.

"Maybe next time," she laughed. She shook hands with Ed first, and I could swear she whispered something in his ear… "Take good care of her." Why would Ed need to take care of me? That thought stuck on my mind as we watched Mr. Han, Fu, and Ross trotted off deeper into the desert.

"Yeah," I murmured. "Maybe next time." I locked eyes with Ed. I wanted to take another look at that mural before we left.

Dashing back to the ruined antechamber, I stared up at the mural for a long while, my eyes flickering over the etching, imprinting every scant detail onto my brain. "It's a transmutation circle," I finally decided.

"Yeah, " Ed agreed. "It's similar to the one that I saw in Lab 5."

"But what do you get with an intertwined dragon, and a sun?" I ran a hand furiously through my hair as I began pacing. "GAH! The damn top part's been torn away! So what do you get with an intertwined dragon and a sun? NOTHING!"

Behind me, I could hear someone running towards me. Ducking, A brown fist sailed over my head. Calmly, I swept my right leg backwards, knocking the man onto his stomach. Spinning, I pivoted my hips, straddling his back, my automail leg pinning both his legs, using my automail arm to pin one of his arms against his back, and pulled back with the other. The man grunted.

"Looks like we're pretty popular today," I called back over my shoulder to Ed, who had his knee on his own assailant's back, his automail yanking back on his right arm, his left braced on his shoulder. One yank would dislocate the brown-skinned man's shoulder.

"Need something?" Ed asked, glaring down at the man he had pinned.

"If it's money, tough luck," I said. "We don't—"

"Ri…they're Ishvalan."

From behind every feasible object, Ishvalans young, old, man, woman, child, stepped forward. Some carried sticks and other homemade weaponry. Others didn't. They formed a tight ring around me and Ed.

"Young ones," one man rumbled, stepping forward. There was a thick angry burn scar on his face, "would you become our hostages so we may get our holy land back from the military?"

"There's no way the military'll cave for the lives of two kids," Ed said, turning to smirk at the man.

"And being a hostage is _right_ on the top of my to-do list," I said sarcastically, digging my knee digger into my attacker's back as he tried to rise. Ed shot me a disparaging look.

"The civil war began with the death of a child," the man said stiffly. "We don't know what could be the beginning of a change in the military."

"Cut it out, this is disgraceful."

I turned. A young boy, maybe Ed's age, was holding the arm of an elderly lady. She had bandages wrapped around her forehead, and a section of them covered her eye. "Lady Shan!"

"You idiots…" the woman muttered, "Are you trying to bring shame to the Ishvalan name?" She turned to the two of us. "Can you please release those men? I promise they won't hurt you again."

With a nod to Ed, I released my attacker's arms and stood, dusting off my legs. "Why did you choose to save us?" I asked, brushing back a strand of hair. "You could've easily let them kill us." I turned to Ed. "I left my tank top back by the fountain. I need to go get it." Without waiting, I walked through the ring of Ishvalans, listening to the snippets of conversation that came back to me.

"I know that not all Amestrians are evil," Lady Shan said gently.

"Both Lady Shan and I were saved by a pair of Amestrian doctors, and when we fled to the nearest town, a young woman and her daughter took us in," I heard the boy who helped the old lady say, "In all honesty, I hate your kind. But I wouldn't be here if it weren't for that woman, and those doctors."

_Move Ri…_

"Couple? Are you talking about the Rockbells?" Ed paused. "And was the woman's name…Anne Celtix?"

"You know Doctor Rockbell and Miss Anne?" the boy asked.

"Y-yeah…"

"Doctor Rockbell saved many of us, and Miss Anne was so kind to let us stay with her until we could leave the country."

_YOU DON'T NEED TO HEAR THIS!_ My inner voice was screaming at me as I sat against a fallen pillar, listening still. My legs felt like lead. My head was full of cotton.

"They stayed with us, despite it getting worse and worse," Lady Shan said. "My son and I were fleeing Resembool when we saw Miss Anne's home go up in flames."

I was going to be sick. I was going to be violently sick. I was shaking like I was sick with the flu.

"…Killed by an Ishvalan…"

"…Warned he'd find who was harboring…"

"Who did it?" Ed growled this out.

"I don't know," Lady Shan murmured. "His face was concealed with bandage. And when he fled your town…his face was in shadow. But I could see that..."

I didn't stick around to hear the rest. I ran for the fountain, astounded that I could even stand. I just wanted to cry. I wanted…I wanted _revenge._ I stared out to the desert, watching the wind form and reform dunes of sand. The setting sun painted the desert red…

Like blood…

Like _my _blood…

Like _Mom's_ blood…

Like _fire_…

I clenched my hands into tight fists. I was going to find who did this. I was going to find the bandaged man who was so furious at Amestrians, he killed Auntie Sara, Uncle Urey, and Mom, orphaning me and Winry. I was going to find him…and I was going to _kill him._

Reaching behind me to touch the burn scar on my left shoulder, I glanced back up at the blood red sun. I was going to kill him.

And I was going to make sure he knew who I was while I did so.

* * *

**Well, revenge is a dish best served cold! Especially since I've finally gone around to working on the relationship! My little Ri's in love! =D  
**

**Ri: I'M NOT IN LOVE!**

**Muse: You were hugging Ed..._familiarly._**

**Ri: He's my _brother!_**

**Muse: By _blood_.**

**Ri: _IT STILL COUNTS!_**

**Muse: Let's see what you say once I publish my _other_ crackfic! You know...the one you gave me in my last monologue? About you...and Ed...in a closet..._alooooone..._**

**Ri: I THOUGHT YOU BURNED THAT! NO! NO! NONONONONONONONONO! I SAW WHAT YOU WROTE! NO! THAT'S LIKE..._NOOOOOOOOOOO!_**

**Ed: ...Should I get her out of the moping corner?**

**Muse: Especially since it's _my_ moping corner!**

**Ed: ...I never saw what you wrote for that crackfic... -glare-**

**Muse: Ehehehehe...REVIEW!**

**..._HELP ME! I'M BEING ATTACKED BY A FICTIONAL CHARACTER!_  
**


	16. Chapter XV: Father Before the Grave

**WAAAAAH! I'M SUCH AN UNFAITHFUL MUSE! ;A; I PROMISED YOU A SMALL HIATUS! A SMALL ONE!**

**Ri: Small isn't good enough, is it, Supeet?**

**Supeet: No it isn't -brandishing Russia's lead pipe-**

**Muse: Oh God...SHE'S GOING TO KILL ME! -furiously waves white flag-**

**Supeet: THERE IS NO SURRENDER, DAMMIT!**

**Muse: NOOOOOOO! -runs-**

**Ri: Supeet is officially my new favorite murderer -evil grin- Anywho, since my ass of a creator is busy fleeing from her life, I guess it's up to-AL! NICE OF YOU TO SHOW UP!**

**Al: Huh?**

**Ri: Disclaimer, pretty please?**

**Al: NO!**

**Ri: Please? -puppy dog look-**

**Al: ...Fine. She really hopes she didn't have to say this, but she is no cow-lady, therefore she is not Arakawa-sensei. All she owns is $.02, some lint, and, of course, Ericka.**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Father Before the Grave  
**

The trip back to Resembool didn't take as long as it had taken to get to Xerxes. Or maybe it did…I wasn't paying any attention to anything around me. Throughout our time trekking back to civilization, I could tell that Ed knew that there was something on my mind, judging by the quick glances he kept shooting me every so often. I might've noticed them, but I never met his ever questioning eyes. Revenge was the only thing that mattered now. The moment we were back in Resembool, I rose my head from Ed's shoulder.

"I'm going to go and see home one last time," I told Ed as I slid off the saddle and onto my feet, folding the overcoat so it was in a comfortable little square. "You know…pay my respects."

"Ri…" Ed said softly. "You don't…"

"I'll meet you at Granny's." I interrupted him, and, without waiting for him to respond, I started down the road, making the turnoff to the dilapidated old bridge that held so many memories.

In the weeks since I had last been here, the bridge had fallen even deeper into disrepair. I already knew that I couldn't step foot on it without falling into the creek. Sighing, I rolled up my pajama shorts further, and waded into the icy water. Sharp, chilly knives dug themselves into my skin, and I resisted the urge to curse and shiver as I made my way out and onto the opposite bank. Once again, I could smell cold ash and charred wood.

_One foot in front of the other. It's as simple as one foot in front of the other. _

Slowly, ever so slowly, left went before right. I was slowly cresting the hill, walking along the path that I had taken so many times so long before. I glanced down at my right hand, almost imagining holding my mother's hand. Whenever I'd go and visit Ed and Al, Mom and that bastard would come and pick me up from their home. The entire way home, I would hold each of their hands in mine, imagining that I was the queen of the world.

I could see the charred remains from where I stood. Shockingly, a man stood before where I knew was the last place my mother stood before I lost consciousness. He was tall, with closely cut dark brown hair, the _exact same shade as mine._ He was wearing a black tailed coat, his shoulders broad and taut…

Shoulders that I had ridden on, giggling as a toddler.

"No way…" I whispered.

Arms that held me as I cried.

_Impossible…_

A back I watched walk out the door twelve years ago.

The man turned to scrutinize me with the same eyes as me…blue flecked gold. Brown hair…

Horror shot through me. _Thames!_

"Ericka…" he rumbled, sounding surprised. "You've grown." I growled at him, stubbornly glaring off to the side. "Pinako told me what you did with the Elric boys. That you attempted human transmutation."

"Don't try to be a father now, you bastard!" I spat. "Who do you think you are, coming back after all this time? If you haven't noticed, there's no place for you here!"

"Right…" he mumbled, kicking idly at the stirring ash. "My house…what happened?"

"Some fucker burned it down. Not that _you_ care."

"But I do…" he said slowly, staring at the flowers in my hand. "Why do you come here, instead of Annelise's grave?"

"She has an empty grave," I muttered, placing the flowers where I usually did. "Now do the world a favor and leave. No one wants to see you here." I spun around, stalking past him angrily.

"You look like her," he said. I bristled irritated that he was still following me. "She used to put her hair up in a bun."

Furious, I yanked the tie binding my hair back out, letting it fall loose around my shoulders and down my back. "Fuck off," I spat again, picking up the pace. From behind me, I could hear him say, "She's just like me when I was her age…"

When I got back to Granny's, it turns out that today was the unofficial Bastard Father's Who Abandon Their Children Show Up After Ten Years Day. Hoenheim was sitting at a table with Pinako, drinking sparingly. Offering him a withering glare, I stormed up the stairs, kicking open the bedroom door. Fury was radiating off of me as I threw my overcoat down on the spare bed, unzipping my boots, and kicking them away. What. The. _Hell_. What was Thames goddamn Celtix doing here? _Here _of _all damn places?_

"Damn…bastard…" I growled, removing my shorts. "Damn…dirty…rotten…" I yanked off my tank top, close to ripping it to shreds. "Dirty…rotten…mother…fu—"

"Before you remove any other articles of clothing," Ed pointed out from the opposite bed, "let me leave."

Slowly, I turned around. Ed was laying down in bed, his hair undone, wearing a white tee shirt and boxers. There was a definite blush on his face.

It didn't click with me at first, until the gravity of the situation hit me with the strength of a freight train.

I was in my underwear.

Ed was in the same room as me.

_I. Was. In. My. ._

"_WHAT THE HELL!_" I crowed, voice jumping in octave as I made a grab for my clothes. _"WHEN DID YOU—HOW DID YOU—GE—"_

Ed practically flew out of bed, clamping one hand over my mouth, and pinning both arms to my side with his other. "_Quiet!_" he hissed dangerously. "If _they— _" there was a definite snarl when he said 'they', "—hear you screaming, they'll come up here, and then Granny'll kill us _both._"

I fell silent. For once, and I'm sure this is the last time I'll ever admit it, but Ed was right. "Let go of me, or I'll scream rape, and _then_ we'll see how fast they come up here."

Sour-looking, Ed released me, pacing back to sit on his bed. "Why the hell are they _here?_" he spat angrily.

"You're asking me," I muttered, moodily staring down at my selection of clothes. All I had were the clothes on my back from when the Major practically kidnapped us. "And now I need pajamas," I muttered, sitting down on the edge of my bed, rubbing at my aching joints. It was going to rain.

Cloth hit me in the face, and I jumped, ready to throw a pillow in Ed's direction. It was only then that I realized it was a faded short sleeved shirt. I glanced at him curiously.

"Take it," he said with a shrug as I pulled it on, removing my hair from underneath the shirt collar. It smelled of vanilla and oil, but for some reason, I found it kind of…nice.

"Hey, Ri. Your face is all red." Ed was literally in my face, staring at my surely bright red cheeks. "Something wrong?"

"N-no!" I stammered, immediately taking several steps back. "I-ah-um…_seeyoutomorrow!_"

And like a coward, I fled the room as fast as I could, taking refuge in Winry's abandoned room. I could still feel my heart in my throat and my pulse racing like I'd just ran a marathon (which is exactly what it felt like to me). "What…" I gasped out, "the _hell_… is wrong with me?"

Betrayingly, that inner voice of mine began dredging through my memories, laughing gleefully as it brought forth a particularly embarrassing one of mine…

_Twelve year old me sat on the bank of the river that ran through Resembool. It was still flowing swiftly from the leftover melted ice, flowing halfway up to my knees. Even through my boots, it was freezing. _

"_Ri!" Al called from further up the hill from me. "What has Brother told you about being too close to the water?"_

_I grumbled under my breath. "I'm not a _total_ klutz, Al!"_

_Even from that distance, I had heard him sigh impatiently, "It's time for dinner!"_

"_Coming!" I called, moving to stand…_

_Of course, it being almost April, most of the ice had melted, but it was still icy on the rocks. Before I knew it, I was spiraling out of control, careening right into the water, automail already dragging me down._

Am I going to die…?

That had been the thought running through my mind. I shivered violently, crawling under the covers. That was the last thing I remembered before I had hit my head…

And when I woke up…

_It was cold…was this what it was like to be dead? To float in this icy cold hell forever? Or was this just the hell reserved for Aveumorti, or those who had committed the Taboo?_

"_I want to go…" I moaned, thrashing in the darkness. "LET ME GO!"_

"_Ri!" it was Ed… "Dammit, open your eyes!"_

_For once, I listened. Opening my eyes, I was glad to see I was back home, several blankets wrapped tightly around me. There were bandages wrapped around my head. I guess I hit it or something… _

_But that wasn't the weird thing. Ed was holding my wrists. Both of my hands were curled into fists, like I was trying to hit him…_

_Why would I try to hit him?_

_There was relief in his eyes as he released my wrists, only to hold my hands gently in both of his._

"_Don't you _ever _do that to me again…"_

He had been so worried over me. But _why? _"GAH!" I whined, running my hands over my head. "_Hormones suck ass!_"

I sighed heavily, turning half onto my side so I was facing the door. _Did_ Ed really like me like that? He's always ridiculously protective (I definitely had the bumps to prove it!) and he feels the need to tell me off for no reason, _and why he was the one to hold me whenever we got into a fight…_

Dammit, why was it so hard to ignore whatever was between us? Damn it damn it damn it damn it damn it damn it damn it dam—

The door creaked open slowly. I didn't need to have my eyes open to know that it was _him_. Just being in the same country as him made my blood boil…

He stopped next to me. I could feel his bastard gaze on me; it took every ounce of my concentration _not_ to jump up and kill him. But it was obvious he was deep in thought as he bent onto his knees to study me (at least, from what I could see through the fringe of my lashes). His hand slowly crept out, hovering mere centimeters above my forehead…

But then he withdrew. For some reason, I was disappointed. He left without another word, or movement in my direction. That infuriated me even more. He had the balls to try to act like a goddamn _father,_ then leave? What the hell?

I sat up, seething. This was the absolute LAST STRAW. He was dead. _DEAD. _Angrily, I swung my legs over the edge of Winry's bed, storming out the partially open door. About to walk down the stairs, I stopped, spying Ed leaning against the wall, listening to the conversation taking place on the opposite side of that door. If he saw me…

I crouched, still within earshot of that opened door, listening intently…

"You two haven't changed a bit," I heard Pinako say, "not even from the old days…" Her tone became very affronted, angry even, "You couldn't even spare those children as much as a phone call? You couldn't spare your journey a few days to come home…_hold them_ while they bled, thrashed, _grieved?_ Ericka cried for days straight to the point where Trisha was the only one who could give her some measure of comfort. When she was gone, those three…_your children…_ were left with no one but us and themselves." She paused. Obviously she had taken a drink, "But in this case, I have to say I'm most disappointed in you, Hoenheim. Your sons would have never done what they did and dragged Ri into it."

Still crouched at the top of the stairs, I had half a mind to run downstairs and defend them; give Granny the whole "It was my idea as much as theirs" spiel I'd been running for practically half my life. A thought broke through, keeping me grounded. _Would_ I have done that if Ed didn't say so plainly, "We're going to bring her back," at Mom's grave?

Rage flashed through me, fast and white hot, making red creep in on the edges of my vision. Ed…_he_ planted that thought in my mind. _He _was the one who put Al and me in our situations… Why was I the one thinking they hated me for mingling Elric blood with Celtix blood? It was _his fault…_

I was so angry, I almost missed that bastard's next words, "I know that Ericka was sensitive after Annelise's death. I'm certain Trisha's death exacerbated the situation, but it was her choice to follow."

"You couldn't have spared time to give her a phone call?" Pinako snapped, "She _needed _you Thames. Just like those boys needed you, Hoenheim, after Trisha died. This could have been avoided if you two were there for them." She sighed. "Poor things…had to watch their mother die twice."

"They transmuted Trisha…" Hoenheim said thoughtfully. I heard nails click, watched Den walk out from the room and nuzzle Ed's thigh. "Pinako, you cleaned up after them, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did."

"Are you sure it was Trisha?"

I froze, something akin to disgust and (was that hope?) leaping in my throat. Below me, Ed just…stopped.

"I told you…" Granny paused, obviously taking another drink, "…it wasn't even human. Didn't _look_ human. I couldn't even think of it as Trisha. Or even Annelise, if what you're trying to say is true."

"That's not what I meant," he said again, "I meant the color of the eyes, the hair, the voice…"

"What are you implying? That that thing wasn't Trisha, or Annelise? That those children sacrificed their bodies for no reason, for something completely unrelated? That's the cruelest thing I've ever heard!"

I felt so sick…everything I had secretly dreaded, secretly _hoped _for…it was gone. Dead. The thing we created wasn't Mom…It wasn't my mother…

My anger drained away, filled in stead with self loathing. Even now…staring the truth in the face, I was still hoping that that thing was my mother.

Disgusted with myself, I crept back to bed, pulling the covers up over my head, and shut myself away from the world.

…

_There was a bright pinpoint of light at the end of the long tunnel. I wasn't even aware that I was running headlong for it, hand outstretched, as if trying to capture it's intangibility between my fingers. "Give them back…" I hissed dangerously. "Give them back!" I strained further as the light danced just beyond my metallic fingertips. "You did that to Ed and Al! You took them away!" Tears pricked at my eyes. "_GIVE ME BACK THE ONLY FAMILY I HAVE LEFT!"

"_Give them back?" Truth asked, floating upside down in front of me. I ground to a halt, my face scant inches from its. "Whatever do you mean? You were the one who gave that precious half of your soul to keep Alphonse Elric bound to the Gate so your dear Fullmetal could use that arm of his to keep his brother soul bound. It's your fault for that. The one who made Fullmetal and his brother pass through the Gate…was the Whitewood Alchemist! You did it and no one else!" All at once, my anger turned to fear. "You did it with your own two hands, as much as I stole that half of your soul from you!"_

"_It wasn't my fault that you made the only family you have pass through the Gate," came a sickeningly familiar voice from behind me. I slowly turned, dreading the sight of Shou Tucker behind me, that terrible memory surfacing. As it did so, like a fine mist rising suddenly, poor Nina appeared at his side, baleful, membranous eyes blinking at me, so full of pain… "You did that to them, Ericka Celtix! Just like you couldn't stop me from using Nina."_

_I felt like vomiting. I felt like crawling in a hole and dying… "No," Truth said, drawing me back to it. "It wasn't only your precious brothers…"_

"_My little one…" _

_No…no no no no no no no no no…Truth wouldn't be that heartless…to do _that…

_A hand was placed on my cheek from behind, caressing the skin there. I didn't need to turn to know what was there… "Why did you ever think I was that thing you transmuted? Were you so unhappy with Trisha that you wanted me back? So do it again…bring me back…use Edward's life for mine…Promise me?" _

"_You've seen what they will do to you…" Truth whispered as I began to fall, the tiny hands of the Gate that I had be unaware of up until now drawing me into that curious gate… "Ri…"_

_That wasn't the voice of the Truth…I furrowed my eyebrows, listening as the voice resonated louder in my skull…_

…

I was awake early enough to watch their backs departing again in the distance, waving goodbye to Granny. Aching, still haunted from last night's nightmare, I dressed, thanking Granny for keeping some of my spare clothes here. True, the light gray sweater was a little worn, and the jeans smelled like oil and mothballs, but they were still salvageable.

Shuffling downstairs, I was shocked to see Ed and Granny ready to leave, armed with spades, shovels, Granny's medical tools, a bucket, and a clean rag. "Where are you going?" I asked, unable to keep the surprise from my voice.

"I was hoping you'd be asleep for this…" Ed muttered.

"You haven't answered me," I snapped, "where are you going, grave robbing?"

I wasn't aware that I was dead on the spot…

It wasn't until I was walking up the hill, passing that charred husk of a tree, the swing that had hung from it long decomposed into the soil, that I knew what we were doing…

Digging up Mom…

I wanted to run. I wanted to vomit. I wanted nothing more than to escape this morbid scene. We were…Oh God…we were doing it…we were digging her up…

Ed pointed a finger at me, gesturing for me to sit by the tree, "Stay there," he ordered hoarsely, "I don't…want you to do this." He clutched his chest, nearly doubling over.

"Ed!" I gasped, knowing what was happening. He couldn't do this alone…

"Want to call it off?" Granny asked, voice full of sympathy.

"No," he growled, "it's just my joints acting up…"

"Joints my ass, Ed," I snapped, moving to stand. "Ed…you can't—"

"_SIT!_" he barked.

And I listened.

I watched him begin to dig, the shovel's head breaking through the soil as Granny weeded. Rain began to fall, eventually turning everything to mud, slicking my hair to my head, the fabric of my sweater clinging uncomfortably to my skin.

That's when Ed vomited the first time.

It was so sudden, I jumped to my feet, worried he'd been seriously hurt. Granny was already at his side, running her hands over his back comfortingly. "I told you so!" she reprimanded as I began to make my way over to him. He coughed again, dry heaving, and I held his hair back. How could I help him when he wouldn't let me bear this burden with him?

"Ed, _please_," I begged, "let me—"

"No," he growled, "we're not stopping, and you're going to sit your ass back by that tree and let me do this. I'm not going to stop until I confirm it…I'm not going to run away!"

With that, Ed stood, made me sit back down beside the tree, and went back to work, shoveling the muddy earth.

He vomited a second time on the opposite side of the tree. While he was there, I lifted the shovel, getting to work while he recovered. I had barely done anything before he forcibly removed the shovel from my hand, pointed back to that tree…

But no, I wasn't going back. This was not just his burden…

"Give me the other shovel, Ed," I said softly, no less of a demand.

"No."

"Granny, can I have the shovel?"

She paused long enough to hand it to me. "Don't even think about it, Ri," he warned as I turned my back on him, beginning to work.

It was hard work. Ed worked like a man possessed, shoveling so fast, that for every shovelful he managed, I had to do two just to keep up. Whatever thought that had grown in his mind…it was eating him alive.

I had become so engrossed in my work that when Ed tossed aside his shovel and dropped to his knees, hands scrabbling at the muddy ground, I had jumped back like he'd electrocuted me. After a few moments, he withdrew a muddy clump of hair, running over to the bucket, now full of rainwater.

…His shoulders fell. "Granny," he whispered, his face so full of agony, "Mom had auburn hair…" In his hand…he held several strands of onyx. "This is black!"

I wanted to hold him like he held me, but I knew he wouldn't let me. Instead, I helped Granny excavate the skeleton, trying to keep myself from cringing as that _thing_ was unearthed for the first time in five years.

"This femur is way too long," she said, measuring the obscenely long leg bone. She lowered the soft tape measure, inspecting the pelvis between careful hands. "The pelvis is male."

Each affirmation only tightened my grip on Ed's arm. "Granny," he whispered, that agonized look on his face once more.

"Ed…Ri…I'm sorry, but this is not Trisha Elric."

I fell onto my knees, hands at my mouth, ready to cry. My arm…my leg…_my soul…_ all for nothing…_nothing_…

Ed, who had fallen to his hands and knees, began to shake. It was a slow thing that began in his hands, moved to his shoulders, until his whole body was trembling…

_Oh God…_

A laugh tore itself loose from his chest, a bitter, eccentric sound that I'd sometimes use whenever I was in the heat of battle. But this wasn't the heat of battle, and it wasn't just any laugh…

It was an _insane _one.

_The truth's driven him mad…_

_Ed's lost his mind…_

"_Ed!" _I gasped, placing my hands on his shoulders as he rose onto his knees, his saneless guffaws echoing off the hills. "Don't you _dare_ do this! Not now!"

He stopped, staring up at the still raining sky. "That's right…" he whispered, "you can't revive the dead. That's the truth." His head fell to his hands, and he laughed again, bringing his hands up to brush his hair from his face. A smile was plastered on his face, and that terrified me. "It was impossible from the very beginning."

"Pull yourself out of it, dammit!" I cried, the palm of my hand connecting roughly with his cheek.

His head snapped to the side, my hand still on his cheek. "I'm fine, Ri," he murmured. His hand slid from his face, but I gripped it, squeezing it tightly between both of mine. "Since that day…this has been a symbol of our despair. But now, it will lead me onto a path of hope." He turned to me, his eyes clear and sane.

"Al can get his body back."

And the rain stopped.

I was too startled for words as Ed reburied the thing, giving it an unmarked grave. I couldn't help but smile. Now that was the Ed I knew…

…I wasn't aware that he had a death wish…

"She's going to kill you," I said, leaning against the table behind Ed as I meticulously finger combed his hair. I hated feeling like a mother, but there was something about his braid being so…unbraided that annoyed me.

"She's over four hours away," he said dismissively as he spun the dial. But there was certainly some hesitance there.

"She's going to stick her hand through the receiver, rip out your brain, and strangle you with it."

"You can't strangle someone with your brain, moron," he reprimanded, turning to face me. I sighed through my nose, forcing him to face forward.

"What point of 'don't move' don't you understand?" I asked wearily, continuing to drag my fingers through his hair, ridding it of snags.

"_Hello, you've reached the Curtis residence,_" I heard Teacher pick up.

"Hi, Teacher," Ed said nervously. Good, he should be nervous, but that didn't stop me from tugging reassuringly at his hair.

"_Oh, it's you Ed. What do you want?"_

"Umm…there's something I wanted to ask you…"

"_Well? Speak up, I can barely hear you._"

I tugged on his hair again. _Go on. _

"It's about the time you attempted to revive your child…"

"_What about it?_" Teacher…she sounded affronted, scared even.

"Teacher, the thing Al, Ri, and I transmuted was not our mother." The truth was out again, making me shudder. Watching Ed unearth it…affirm what we had merely guessed at, that was enough. Hearing him say it again made me shudder.

"_What do you mean?_" she hissed, "_What are you trying to say?_"

"The child that was the result of the transmutation…" Ed continued, finally finished beating around the bush. "Are you sure it was really him?"

There was a long pause, followed by the resounding _click_ of the line's disconnection. I sighed, continuing, separating his hair into three parts, beginning to twine it around my fingers until it was braided.

"I'm going to go with Granny to pay my respects to Auntie and Uncle Rockbell," he finally said, "You going to come to see Mrs. Celtix?"

"…Yeah," I mumbled, resting my chin on the top of his head. "I'm starting to get really tired of all this death…"

"Aren't we all?" he ruffled my hair softly. There was that beast rearing its ugly head again, as I rested my cheek on the top of his head, feeling my eyes begin to drift shut as he continued ruffling my hair.

"Ready?" Granny asked. I had half an inkling that Granny had been standing there, watching the whole thing.

I nodded, drawing back (reluctantly?), hopping down from the table. "I'm going to walk alone," I said, tugging on the tan overcoat that Mr. Han had given all of us. "I'll meet you and Auntie and Uncle Rockbell's graves."

Ed only nodded as I left the house, walking briskly, wanting to get there as fast as I possibly could. The cemetery was a short walk, just over the bridge like I used to take back home with Ed and Al after school. How many times had I chased him, waving the push broom after he forgot to sweep? I couldn't help but smile, nudging the dusty ground with my foot, watching it turn to grass as I trekked through the hilly cemetery, towards the newer section.

And there it was…

_Annelise Celtix_

_Born April 20, 1885_

_Died November 16, 1905_

_Loving Mother_

Just seeing that affirmation…the one thing I've avoided for the past ten years. It was terrible to just stand her when I knew that there was nothing in the world I wanted more than to be there with her…

I let out a shuddering sigh, tilting my head back to stare up at the setting sun. I've been crying so much lately, it shocked me that I still had function left in my tear ducts. From in front of me, I could see Ed and Granny standing by Auntie and Uncle Rockbell's graves. Snippets of their conversation passed to me.

"So my son and his wife…helped on the battlefield, eh?" I heard Granny ask Ed. Obviously, he was telling her about what the Ishvalan refugees told us…well…Ed. "And Annelise and Ri, even though she doesn't remember it, helped those poor people move on…" A pause. "Good to know."

Ed turned to face me, crooking a finger in my direction. Obviously, Granny wanted a little time alone with them. I sighed, glancing at my mom's grave, waving a dismissive hand at him. There was a very odd feeling, something that I guess was suppressed after the fire…

_I grinned at the brown skinned boy who was sitting on the floor beside my bed. His shoulder was bandaged, but his eyes were bright and intrigued me._

"_You and your mother are too kind, Ericka," he said, smiling up at me as he folded the book around his finger, "you've lent me your books, let me use your coloring books, and been far too nice then we deserve."_

"_Don't say that," I said, coughing into my hand. I hated having colds; it kept me away from Ed, Al, and Winry… "it's not like _I'm_ going use them anymore. Besides, I've been hanging out with Ed and Al. They're learning…" I trailed off. Ishvalans didn't like alchemy…_

"_How to make dolls," I said, reaching for the little sack doll that Ed had transmuted for me for my fourth birthday. Okay, so it wasn't the _full_ truth. I began coughing again, and he stood, saying something about getting me more water._

_I settled back, looking out the window, staring down at my mom and Granny. "…becoming uncomfortable," I heard my mom say, "I think someone's been watching the house at night."_

"_A soldier?" Granny asked._

"_Maybe. His head was wrapped in bandages. There was something on his right arm as well." She sighed, reaching for the tea between them. "I hope that we'll be able to help these people for a little while longer." _

"_Maybe this is getting a little out of hand, Annelise," Granny said. I knew she was serious. No one called Mom Annelise anymore. "You should probably stop this…"_

"_I can't, Pinako," Mom said, "these people _need_ me…me and Ericka." She sighed again, glancing out to the open road, as if expecting _him_ to come. "If something happens, can you do me a favor?"_

"_Nothing's going to happen, Annelise."_

"If._"_

"_Alright, _if_ I can."_

"_Tell Thames when he comes back…tell him that I couldn't wait for him to come back, and I'll give it to Ri when she's old enough."_

…

I sat on the train with Ed, my head on his lap, my overcoat tossed over myself. I was tired, but I enjoyed Ed's fingers running through my loose hair.

"Al's going to scream his bloody head off at us," I mumbled, curling up.

"He's got the right," he said, "we've done a bunch of stuff without him knowing."

The train ride passed easily like that. I'd fallen asleep at some point, waking up only when the train pulled into Central Station…

And when we got back to the hotel…

"_WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?_"

Our matching shrieks sent Winry blinking dumbly. "_WHERE THE FUCK IS YOUR ARM?_" I howled, jabbing at the tarp covering the emptiness.

"I'm sorry," he apologized sheepishly.

"Y-you…YOU'RE IN RUINS!" Ed howled.

"A-and…WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU FREELOADERS DOING HERE?" I shrieked, glaring at Ling, Lan Fan, and Rani, who were chowing down on more room service then I'd order in a year.

"Eating," Ling answered.

"_**OUT!**_" Ripping open the door, all three of them flew from the room, following with the empty dinner plates.

Ed, in the meantime, was busy bemoaning Al's armor. "What happened to you?"

Al began to retell the details of the past days. Havoc paralyzed, the Colonel in the hospital, the Homunculi, and Barry the Chopper.

"Ri, have you been passing out?" Al asked worriedly.

I flushed. "Not often…"

"Ri…rejection is happening between my armor and my soul. What if your two halves are struggling to reunite?"

Ed was working on Al's armor, stretching the pieces so they knitted back together. "Al'll be able to return to his old body, right? And Ri…what about her? Her soul?" Winry asked worriedly.

"I'm going to fix them, even if I have to kick that bastard Truth in the teeth," Ed snapped. He sighed again, sitting on the couch. "That's besides the point at the moment…I—" I shot him a glare, "—we dug up the thing we transmuted."

Al was silent for a long time, before he jumped, glaring down at us in shock. "W-why would you do something like that?"

"It wasn't Mom."

Al sat back down, holding his helmeted head in his hands. "What does this mean? But we…"

"It was completely different."

"No way! Then we—"

"And now I'm confident that we can get your body back."

_What about me, Edward? No equivalent exchange! Nothing for a soul! _Nothing_!_

_Shut up…_

_Do you care more about Al then me? Your baby sister?_

_I told you to shut up._

_I'm going to suffer and _die_ while he—_

_SHUT UP!_

"_EARTH TO RI!" _Winry barked, drawing my attention back to the world. "Did you hear anything that Ed just said?"

"Nope," I said shamelessly.

"I _said,_" he snapped, "you remembered going through a different gate than us the first time around. What did Truth say to you?"

"He was he was too busy to take me, and that my time hadn't come yet, so he made me an Aveumortis. Then he said welcome to the Truth." It was as plain as I could get. Besides that short conversation, there's nothing else I remember about it.

"If you can go back through, you can pull your soul. It was unfairly taken," Ed explained, pointing a finger at my nose. "Ri, when you were taken through, did you see anything? Anything at all?"

I buried my hands in my head, closing my eyes. The gate…the butterflies…drawing me in…

_The pain…_

"It hurts…" I whispered, clutching at my chest. That ache returned, more physical than a memory. "He tore my soul straight in half…right in front of me…I reached out for it…couldn't…" It was getting harder to breathe. The edges of my consciousness were graying, making me shiver.

"Ri, focus," he said. "What did you see? This is important."

"I can't…"

"You can."

"_I can't!_" My voice was rising as the pain intensified, the aching tug at my soul growing taut.

"This is important!"

"I KNOW THAT!" I howled, pacing like an animal. Pacing helped. It kept my mind off the pain.

There was a knock on the door, "Mister Elric? Miss Celtix? There's an Izumi Curtis on the phone for you."

_Teacher?_

Before Ed could stop me, I opened the door, following the concierge down to the front desk, picking up the phone.

"_I looked into the family histories of both Sig and I,_" she said without preamble. "_As a result, the skin and hair color of the child…cannot have possibly come to the two of us._" She paused, "_Ed's found out something, hasn't he?_"

"Yes," I said, glancing at him, "You can't bring someone who's died back from the dead. Their soul was taken by the Gate. He's positive he can get Al's body back, and positive that my soul can be knitted back together."

"_I see…_" she said slowly, "_It wasn't that I was missing something…but rather it was impossible from the very beginning._" She sighed. "_Ericka, put him on the phone_."

"Yes ma'am!" I handed the phone over to him. The conversation barely lasted ten seconds before he stared at the phone openmouthed.

"What did Teacher say?" Al asked. I didn't even realize he was behind us. All I knew was that I needed to start pacing, or I'd pass out.

"I don't really get it, but she thanked me," Ed answered; I could feel his eyes on me, watching me stalk back and forth as he headed for the stairs. I was halfway up the stairs before Ed stopped behind me. "Al?" he asked, staring at Al. He had stopped at the base of the stairs.

"I've been blaming myself nonstop since that day," he said quietly."That it was me…who put Mom in that state, and killed her."

"Same goes for me, Al," Ed said, equally as soft.

"Me three," I said, a single tear tracking down my face. "Al, this means—"

"We didn't kill Mom!" he sobbed softly.

"But it's true that I put you in that state," Ed told Al. "I'm going to pull your body out, no matter what—"

"Brother, look at me," I snapped, making him stare at me. I knew that he knew that I never called him Brother. "We all carry the same sin, the same burden. Don't talk about this like it was all your fault, or I'll kick your ass from here to Xing."

"Ri…" Al said softly, "you and Brother…trying to do everything by yourself…I'm tired of other people suffering because of me! Same with Mr. Hughes, too." He sighed. "Ri…you were so torn apart by his death. I felt from the bottom of my heart that I didn't want to return to my body if it meant that other people would have to suffer." He stared back up at Ed. "Brother, even though they didn't have the bodies of humans…I've watched people live their lives according to what they are. Even though I'm in this state, people interact with me like I'm human. Ri, you and I know that our bodies are ticking time bombs that'll go off without a moment's notice. But we live like we're human, even though we're really not. I've truly started for feel that way. But… I can't stand it any longer…"

He stared up at me, the light hitting his face looking as if he were sobbing like I was. "I…I don't want to spend my nights alone!"

Ed reached behind him, gripping my hand, drawing me down to where Al was standing. He paused long enough to push me between them, his hand rubbing Al's head, wrapping an arm around me tight. Al placed a hand on my head, and I reached behind him to hold onto his hand.

"That's why I want to return to my old body," Al murmured.

"Yeah. I'll make it happen," Ed said with a grin. We ran up the stairs, me trailing behind them both. "Right after I kick the shit out of that bastard Truth, I'm going to get your body, and your soul!"

"Right!" Al agreed, slowing.

"Hey! I want a crack at him too!" I complained, before trailing off, slowing down to stare at Ed's shoulders.

When did they get so broad?

* * *

**Supeet: If you're wondering where your Muse has gone... -brandishes pipe- DON'T ASK! **

**Muse: This is why we call her Russia!**

**Supeet: BACK TO THE LAPTOP!**

**Muse: RUSSIA-CHAN!**

**Supeet: ITA-CHAN...**

**Muse: -meekly returns to computer- Yes, scary ma'am...**

**Supeet: Good. All that's left to say is review. And don't worry. Updates will be coming soon..._real_ soon.**

**Muse: SAVE ME! ;A;  
**


	17. Chapter XVI: Backs in the Distance

**I'm currently hiding in an undisclosed location. Russia-chan is a terrifying individual. If I don't publish faster, she threatened to kill me. And her, being the love child of Doitsu-kun and Nihon-chan (thus creating Russia), I believe her fully. Therefore, there is no one with me. It's too dangerous. **

**Supeet: Oh Ita-chaaaaan...where are youuuuuuuu?**

**Muse: No! She's found me!**

**Supeet: -tapping led pipe against her leg- YOU RAN AWAY FROM MEEEEEEEEE...THAT IS NO GOOD ITA-CHAAAAAAAN...**

**Muse: I really hope I didn't have to say this, but I am no cow-lady, therefore I am not Arakawa-sensei. All I own is $.02, some lint, and, of course, Ericka.**

**Supeet: ITA-CHAN, OUT. NOW!**

**Muse: If I'm not back- OH GOD, SHE FOUND ME!**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Backs in the Distance**

"What if…it's rotted?"

I gaped soundlessly up at him. What the hell did he mean, 'Is it rotted?'

"My body hasn't gotten any nutrition in four years!" Al squealed. "Even if I was to return to my body…"

All at once, I was greeted by the most unpleasant image of Al's face all…_icky… _I shuddered from my head right to my toes. "Thanks for that _lovely_ image, Al," I snapped as sarcastically as possible. "I'll be sure to check under my bed tonight for faceless monstrosities…"

"Really, Ed?" Winry asked, near oblivious to my sarcastic outburst.

Ed sighed, pausing momentarily to distribute the usual head-slap, and leaned back. "It's only hypothetical," he began, jerking my left hand toward him. He turned it so it was palm up, and showed my index finger to Winry. There, on the tip of my finger, was a slim pearly white scar, "but when we transmuted Mom, we used our blood for the information for her soul. Then, we were all taken to the Gate, and deconstructed."

"Wait," I interrupted, "so that means—"

"That our minds may have crossed, and become entangled."

"What do you mean?" Al asked.

"I mean that your body, my body—"

"—and my body are connected. You know, since for my age I'm sort of…" I choked. "Sort of…of…f-f…flaaah…flaaaaaght…" I coughed into my hand, "…flat-chested…"

At the same time I said those two unholy words, Ed muttered, "short."

"They admitted it," Winry muttered.

"They're facing reality," Al gasped.

"But how your saying it," Winry said, "You mean that you're supplying Al's growth and nutrition? Sounds kinda crazy to me."

"It's not crazy!"

"You're short because you don't drink your milk, Ed. And Ri, you have genetics to blame for your issue."

"Don't bring milk into this!"

"PARDON ME, MISS! BUT MY MOM WAS PRETTY WELL SET IN THAT DEPARTMENT!"

"Then what do you want me to say?"

"Something _useful!_"

"You're impossible, Ri! Ed, I'll bring milk into this as much as I want, drink it!"

"Not in hell!"

"Sorry, Ed, but Al does need his calcium!"

"He gets enough of it from you!"

"Maybe he could use a little more!"

"Oh yeah? We'll what about _protein?_"

"_Don't you dare bring meat into this!_"

Finally, Al steered me and Ed out of the room, heading towards the hospital. Of course that bastard had to get himself landed in the hospital.

At the door, we were greeted by Sergeant Furey. "Here to pay the Colonel a visit?" he asked as we signed in with the receptionist, heading with him towards the Colonel's room.

"Yeah, see what his useless ass got in trouble for now," I said easily with a wave of my hand.

"And we heard that Lieutenant Havoc was hurt too," Al placated quickly. "I'm not even sure I'd be here if the Colonel didn't come to our rescue."

"Is that why you're here, Sergeant Furey?" Ed asked.

He held up a pack of papers with a small smile. "Running some errands for the Lieutenant," he answered with a grin. Finally finding ourselves in the Colonel's room, where he took the papers from Furey's hands, unfolding them. It was a map of Central.

"I've calculated the distance to that large door…" Hawkeye said from her spot next to the Colonel's bed, "by counting the steps since I stepped foot in Research Laboratory Three's basement. The exact direction is unclear, so I drew a circle around the laboratory…" She pointed at the bright red circle drawn around Lab Three.

Ed exhaled sharply from beside me, "Central Headquarters?" he breathed. I stared at the map. Sure enough, just barely inside the circle, was the small conglomeration of blocks that signified Central Headquarters. And directly beside it…

"Take a look," I said, tapping the furthest building in the Central Headquarters blocks. "The Presidential Prefecture."

"So the Homunculi reside under there?"

The Colonel sighed, "So there's a chance that the Fuhrer President is involved in all of this."

"If he does," Al finally piped in, "then why did he kill Greed and his crew?"

"Well, he's still suspicious, even if he doesn't have ties to them," Ed said, cupping his chin. "He killed them all without extracting any information from them."

"He's mysterious," the colonel contemplated softly. "Either way, the enemy has infiltrated deeply into the military. We'd better approach him with great caution." He glanced up at him seriously. "Whitewood, Fullmetal, take care of yourselves."

That certainly took me by surprise as I followed Ed and Al out of the room without another word.

"Homunculi and the Fuhrer President…" Ed mused. "C'mon, let's pay a visit to Lab Three."

"A-alright," I managed to stammer out as he dragged me by the hand to Lab Three…

…

"Well, that was eventful," I exhaled as I walked out of the building with my hands in my pockets. "I didn't know that two State Alchemists visiting a bunch of tech nerds could induce such impressive seizures."

"Well, it didn't help that that guy was trying to grope your ass…" Ed griped.

"He was not!"

"I saw the way he was looking at you!"

"God, I miss when you used to not care at all!"

"How was it?" Al asked.

"They all practically foamed at the mouth once we said we were State Alchemists," I piped in as Ed proffered a map.

"What about the basement entrance?"

"Some idiot used some shitty alchemy to cover it up." I thought back to the hastily erected wall. True, it looked solid enough, but the bottom still showed certain signs of recent alchemy. I bet it would have shattered on impact if I so much as stared at it funny.

"They're not stupid enough to leave the entrance wide open," Ed admonished.

"I see," Al mused as we began to walk, crossing the street at the corner.

"So I guess us using the front door to meet the Homunculi isn't an option anymore," I said with a tired sigh, staring up at the sky.

"They said something about not wanting me and Ri killed because we're an important sacrifices," Ed said.

"Didn't they say that to us when we were down in the basement of the Devil's Nest?" Al asked me.

"He said something along those lines," I mused. "That we were sacrifices because we opened the Gate."

"My guess is that these sacrifices are alchemists who have opened the Gate and returning," Ed said. "What are they planning on doing making us sacrifices? I'll beat it out of them!"

"No need to get so enthusiastic, Ed," I teased with a grin.

"Edward! Ericka!"

I peered into the gloom, surprised to see Sergeant Brosh. "Something wrong?" I called, not liking the look on his face.

"Good thing I found you," he panted, out of breath.

"Hey, what happened?" Ed asked, taking a step forward.

"You two'd better get back to your hotel immediately," Brosh warned, handing us each a slip of paper. "If you wish, I'll call for escorts!"

" 'A notification for the entire city from military police headquarters,'" I read, oblivious to the face Ed was making, " 'It seems Scar has appeared in Central again. Three casualties, all of whom are State Alchemists. Several others wounded.'"

"Tattoos…on his right arm…?" Ed let out a strangled sound, something like a whimper and a growl.

Before I could protest, Ed dragged me roughly by the wrist back to the hotel, sat me in his room, and walked with Al to the other room, and shut the door. What was so important that I couldn't sit in the same room as him? But whatever it was, Ed was saying it so low, that I couldn't pick up any words whatsoever.

"Brother, you can't tell Ri about this…" I heard Al say finally.

"Like I could even if I wanted to," Ed grumbled. Tell me _what? _"I'm not going to make her cry!"

Why would he make me cry? Nothing makes me cry. I stood, growing impatient.

"So I guess we'll have to face Scar again…"

I opened the door, "Not without me, you're not," I snapped.

Ed gaped; obviously he was afraid that I'd heard something I wasn't supposed to. "So what's the plan?" I asked, sitting on the coffee table in front of Al.

"No plan that involves _you_," Ed snapped.

"You're going up against Scar. The plan involves me, whether you like it or not."

From the back of his throat, he let out this evil little sound, before crossing his arms, glaring at me out of the corner of his eye. "As I was saying," he grumbled, "they want to keep me—_us_—alive. So if I'm attacked by Scar—"

"—they'll come out of hiding?" I finished, already not liking it. "Ed, I highly doubt that…"

"It's better than sitting around and doing nothing!" He fixed me with a dark glare. "For someone who really wants to be let in on this, you're complaining an awful lot."

"We got our asses handed to us the last time! Would you like it to be our heads this time around?"

Ed looked flustered at that, and I allowed my little moment of victory. "And even if the homunculi show themselves, how do you expect to catch them?"

"They're practically immortal," Al piped in, threateningly looming over Ed.

" 'Immortal'?" Ling squealed, moving the curtain out of the way. "Yes! Immortality handed to me already!"

"From the window again…"

"Again?" I hissed at Al. Note to self: alchemify the windows so they _don't open…_

"We'll lend you a helping hand with that mission," Ling offered as he seated himself on the couch across from us, Lan Fan and Rani ever present behind him. "We're not all that interested in the military's troubles, but if it involves the homunculi or immortality, then we can talk."

Our faces soured. _He wants the Stone. He wants the Stone. No way in hell is he getting the Stone…_

The same mantra must've been parading itself through Ed's head, because Ling immediately looked crestfallen. "What? Are you doubting us?"

"We're grateful you rescued Second Lieutenant Ross," he began, leaning forward in his seat, "but—"

"The more people on your side, the better, right?" he interrupted. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. "We're serious too. The fate of an entire clan rests on me."

Silence fell, ending only when Ed's face split in a consorting grin. "Fine," he agreed. "You'd better not run off with the homunculi."

"We'll keep our promise! We owe you for a meal anyway!"

"A meal?"

Uh oh…

From inside his robe, he withdrew a rolled up slip of paper, which he promptly waved in Ed's face. And let me tell you, the big number at the end of that receipt was _not _a pretty number…"R-room s-service?" I stammered, unable to form coherent sentences at the sight of all those zeros.

"This place has pretty good food!"

"A MEAL MY ASS!" And with a deft kick, our three unwanted Xingese guests flew out the window with a crash.

"HEY!" Winry howled. "PIPE DOWN! I NEED TO GET UP EARLY TOMORROW, AND I CAN'T SLEEP WITH ALL THIS NOISE!"

"Oh!" Ed realized. "You're going back to Rush Valley tomorrow, aren't you? Do you think that you can stay a day or so later?"

"What?"

I patted his shoulder sympathetically. Good luck, buddy. She's gonna skin you alive. "How do I put this?" he stammered. "Um…you see…our arms. Yeah. Our arms…" Not me! "They may or _may not_ get broken…"

And that wrench flew at us so fast, it sent me barreling into the wall, clutching my head in double the pain. "You're _planning _on breaking it?" she shrieked. Winry finally sighed. "Don't you do anything stupid, you hear?"

…

The next morning, I sat in a small street side café, transmuting any broken things that passed my way. Ed, on the other hand, was repairing cars, smashed food stands, broken balconies, and even a baby carriage (that sent shivers down my spine). I swear, that boy was even accompanied by Armstrong-esque sparkles (_another _thing that sent shivers down my spine).

If the homunculi didn't notice us within the next five minutes, I was going to go and kill them myself… I sighed, letting my head rest against the cool metal. Ever since the truth broke about my…_condition…_my mindset had gone all haywire, sending me on a quickly worsening downward spiral. I was on my way to a crash, and I knew it was going to be long, arduous, and involve much screaming, crying, and a _lot _of cursing.

"The whole city's talking about me!" Ed laughed, the whole area around him electrified by his ever growing ego.

"Careful, Ed," I laughed softly, "your head might explode with that ego of yours choking me over here."

He fixed me with a glare, only stopped by a black car pulling up in front of us. I briefly entertained the thought that it was the homunculi there to drag us in, kill us in some horrifying way, then torch the car with our bodies still inside. But it was only Mustang, and, at the moment, I didn't know who was worse.

"I wouldn't have expected things like this from you, Fullmetal," he rumbled.

"Colonel?" Ed spluttered, lurching upwards in his seat.

"I thought you were still laid up," I said, casting a nonchalant glance in his general direction. Following Ed's example, I stood, made my way over to the open window, and leaned casually into it, arms draped over the lip.

"I heard about Second Lieutenant Havoc," Ed muttered.

"Did you think about Doctor Marcoh?" I asked, tapping the toe of my boot against the pavement.

"Hold that freaky conjoined thought of yours," Mustang said, holding up a warning hand. "We're in public, Whitewood. Get in."

Opening the door, I sat across from Mustang, Ed squeezing up next to me, squishing me up against the window. Al followed, making the already tight space positively ridiculous.

"On second thought, get _out._"

We gratefully spilled out onto the pavement, inhaling deep lungfuls of air. I had nearly missed Mustang's statement before Ed practically howled, "Doctor Marcoh's missing?"

"He was probably abducted by them," Mustang said, leaning against the hood of the car. "By the way, Fullmetal, Whitewood. You already know about Scar, don't you?" Ed shot him a look out of the corner of his eye. "Aren't you just doing things that'll catch his attention."

"That's the ulterior motive, Mustang," I said, jerking my thumb at Ed, "shrimpcake over here's planning on luring out our special friends by tangoing with Scar one-on-one."

"Don't be stupid! You obviously forgot about East City."

"Oh my," Ed teased, "afraid of Scar now, are we? You were pretty much useless the last time, if I remember right."

"Don't underestimate me! The weather's fine today!"

"On top of that, you're exhausted! You really are useless, aren't you?"

"_Shut up!_"

I think I was the only one who'd seen Hawkeye raise her handgun, and the only one who'd transmuted my usual quarterstaff out of the pavement beneath me. Scar was standing in the alley before us, looking as threatening as he had all those weeks ago.

Behind me, I could hear Ed whisper maliciously, "What's wrong? It's not even raining and you're drenched."

"Don't shoot, Lieutenant," I warned as she took aim.

"Why not?" she balked.

"Because," I grinned, "me and Ed are doing a little fishing today!"

The ground beneath us began to crack and split, the result of Scar's alchemy. Ed darted forward, and Al clapped his hands, hastily erecting a wall that sealed the alley off from us.

"We're using Brother as bait to lure out the homunculi!" Al warned Mustang as I backed up a few paces, readying my quarterstaff in hand. "Since Brother's an important sacrifice, they want him ali—_Ri, what are you doing?_"

"Sorry, Al," I apologized with a grin as I flashed past, the calculations done in my head before I'd even known it. I'd done this so many times, using Ed, Al, or both of them, as a springboard, that a quarterstaff wouldn't be much different…

…Right?

…Wrong…

With a groan, I cracked into the lip of the wall, feeling my entire rib cage and shoulders rocket with pain. My quarterstaff went rolling off somewhere below, but I didn't have any more time to think as a projectile came flying at my head. Heaving all my weight forward, I finally brought myself up and over the lip, landing in a barely controlled crouch on the opposite side.

"What are you doing here?" Ed barked, shoving me out of the way as another rip in the street nearly caught me. "Get back up and over that wall now!"

"And leave you here to fry?" I retorted hotly as Ed transmuted a legion of stone spikes from the ground, which Scar promptly jumped to avoid. "Not in hell, Elric!"

"Ericka Celtix, get your ass over that wall _this instant!_"

I gave him a firm shove, a large chunk of stone sailing past, right through the empty patch of air that was previously occupied by Ed. "Not in hell!"

Spinning, I dropped to a crouch next to Al, who had practically materialized out of thin air. Clapping my hands, three sets of hands touched the ground, fists, snakes, and cones of rock growing outwards like an out of control tumor, lunging at Scar. Once again, he jumped, all three of our assaults passing beneath him easily.

Ed leapt backwards onto his hands, transmuting a pillar of stone that sent him shooting skyward, out of harms way. I dropped to my knees, both hands shooting out to the wall behind me. Teasing the dormant organic molecules awake, the wall fractured and crumbled as sliver-thin white vines lanced towards Scar, at nearly the same moment as Al's pillars of stone.

"You three!" an MP warned from behind. "Back away!"

"You'll hit our brother!" Al cried as I lunged for Scar, a new quarterstaff in hand. I needed to keep him distracted so Ed could get a bit of a breather. I could tell that staying in just the perfect range—not too close or too far—was really starting to wear on him.

My quarterstaff, for the second time in ten minutes, was lost to me, and I ducked quickly, feeling the nails of his right hand rent gashes down my cheek and neck. Dammit! Where the hell were these guys? A rock struck the side of my face, sending rivulets of blood cascading down my cheek. I'm certain it looked worse than it was, but Ed was already shooting me worried glances. That was the least thing I needed at the moment…

"Ed!" I cried warningly, head whipping in his direction as Scar lunged for him, right hand outstretched for his face. It seemed like he was intent on human deconstruction this time around…

Something struck me in the small of my back, sending me down onto my stomach. I wailed as something heavy landed on my arm, pinning it from the elbow down. Something definitely broke. I could feel it as Scar lurched forward, that right hand lowering for me. Was this really it? Was I really gonna die here on the ground? It hurt to move my arm, so wrenching it free was definitely out of the question. Beating him off alone in such short distance was suicidal in itself. But then again, this whole thing was suicidal. Hopefully, the pain would knock me for a loop, so I wouldn't feel it.

All of a sudden, a shadow fell over me. Alchemy flared, and I was briefly blinded by the light produced. "I got lucky," Ed said victoriously. His gaze fell to me, and I could tell that he thought I was unconscious, just with my eyes open. It wouldn't be the first time that happened. Ed's shadow was gone, and the sound of fighting came forward once more, ear shatteringly loud.

For some strange reason, my thoughts fell to my mom. I could barely remember her now, thanks to almost ten years of absence from my life. She always told me the story of how she met that bastard. He was an alchemist injured in a freak accident ("Your daddy always was the clumsy one!" she would laugh), and she was his nurse. It was out in West City, that much I remembered. I remembered wanting to go see the place where my parents fell in love, before my life tore at the seams, leaving me to sew it all together with no thread left behind.

The alchemic reactions taking place all around were starting to grate on my already badly nerves. Propping myself up on my other arm, I fixed Ed with a stern gaze. His jacket was badly ripped, the sleeve torn from its seam. I watched as Ed clambored up a drainage pipe, which was promptly removed from its housing by Scar. I held my breath as he fell back, Scar expectantly waiting below. He was saved, however, by Al, who transmuted a gigantic hand out of the wall behind him.

"Nice save, little brother!" Ed praised. I shook my head, grinning softly.

"Shut up and run!" Al shot back.

Gravel rained down as another alchemic reaction shook the ground. Quietly yelping, I ducked, glancing up at Ed. He was breathing heavily, dead on his feet practically. I glanced up at the sky. Ling's signal wasn't there. Where were they? I was practically useless.

"Scar!" Al cried. "You use alchemy too! Why are you so against alchemists with the mindset that they oppose God?"

"I told you in East City," he grumbled. "There are those who create and those who destroy."

"You…you want to justify murder by using God's name!" His tone became bitter. "You killed Shou and Nina Tucker, parading the same thing, didn't you?"

My throat tightened at the mere thought of that little girl.

"I see…So you saw the chimera as well. Techniques that give birth to such tragedy…is that what your alchemy does? Is that what you fools worship?"

"Even so…" Ed snapped, "why did you have to kill her!" Oh God Ed, just _shut up…_ I don't want to think about Nina right now. "Why did you have to take her life!"

"I'm sure you fools would understand," Scar muttered, "That chimera would have never been able to return to her original form." I let out a tiny whimper. "If I had let her be, she would have lived out the remainder of her existence in a lab, receiving the same treatment of an experimental animal, never to be treated as a human before."

"But still…we can't approve of what you're doing!" He pointed at me. "Do you recognize that girl, Scar? Do you recognize the surname Celtix?" What was he getting at? Scar didn't know me…

Did he?

"Annelise Celtix was a woman in Resembool, a former nurse who treated escaping Ishvalans, continuing to house them, even as threats from the Amestrian military came pouring in."

I began to struggle freely, attempting to rip my arm out from underneath the boulder. "Brother!" Al cried, seeing that I was indeed awake. "Wait—"

"Do you remember the woman who's house you burned to the ground? The woman you murdered for rescuing your people?"

My mouth dropped. H…he did what? "_BROTHER!_" Al screeched, waving a warning hand. But the damage was done. Ed fixed me with an incredulous stare.

"E-Ed?" I begged softly, now on my knees, my arm nearly free. "Ed…what do you mean? Scar…he set the fire? He killed her…for saving the Ishvalans…?" I stared weakly up at Scar. "Why? What did she do? S-she didn't do a-anything for her to d-die." Tears were pouring down my face, hot and wet, before I could even stop it. "How could y-you? She didn't d-do anything! WHY THE FUCK DID YOU KILL MY MOM?" I was in a furious rage as I stood, my left hand hanging limp, even as I slapped my right hand against it, transmuting my right arm into a blade.

"_I'LL KILL YOU!_" I screeched, lunging for him. I couldn't see a thing passed the red haze clouding my vision. This bastard killed Mom…he was going to pay…he was going to die…he was going to die in the most painful way I could—

I collided with Ed's back. I have no clue how he got passed Scar, but Al was keeping him busy as Ed spun me around, right hand gripping my automail wrist, left, shoving my shoulder back so I was seated back on the floor. "Stupid Brother!" Al cried, keeping Scar on his toes. "Are you trying to get both of you killed? Hurry and get Ri somewhere safe!"

My hands were shaking as he turned back to face me, gently taking my left hand in both of his. "Ri…" he murmured softly.

"I c-c-couldn't d-do it…" I stammered brokenly. "H-he did i-it. H-he was r-r-right there a-and I c-couldn't…"

"You can't, Ri. I'm begging you…"

"B-but he k-killed Mom…he tried to k-k-k-kill y-you and A-A-Al too. Why!"

He sighed gently, taking my right hand, turning it so his palm was resting on his knee. "You were amazing in Rush Valley, Ri," he murmured softly. "You helped that woman give birth. You saved her and her baby…" He clapped his hands, running one over my arm, shrinking it back so it was normal once more. His other hand gently cupped my cheek. "You gave me a reason to stand again." He laughed softly. "Ericka Celtix…the girl who made no sense." He took both my hands in his, pulling them up to his face, gentle with my broken left arm as he held them. "No matter how many times you threaten it. No matter how much you want to…your hands aren't meant for killing people, Ri. They're meant for _saving…_"

I lunged for Ed, ignoring the sharp jolts of pain rushing up and down my arm, my head buried in his chest. His arms snaked around my shoulders, squeezing me tight. "Can I trust you to stay put until I come back?" he asked softly.

"Y-you promise me something…" I whispered as I pulled away, Ed draping his coat around my shoulders, improvising his intact arm as a makeshift sling for me. "Promise me you'll stay s-safe?"

"I'm your big brother. It's my job." He buried his head in my hair, and I felt something weird…something that felt like his lips pressing against my temple gently. "MP, can you keep her safe until I return for her?" He glanced down at me, tilting my chin up so I had no choice but to stare up at him. "Ri. I _promise. _I'm sorry, but I need to go." I absently went to hold onto his hand as he stood. "I'll be right back, alright?"

And so he left, leaving my hand dangling in midair.

* * *

**Ri: Well...my asshat of a creator's done a runner with Supeet-chan on her tail. So I have no clue how long I'm stuck doing this -wipes nose- dammit! I hate crying! -hiccups-**

**Ed: I never knew you got the hiccups when you cry!**

**Ri: Th*hic*at's because y*hic*ou never se*hic*e me*hic*cry!**

**Ed: -pats her head sympathetically- My poor, misunderstood baby sister.**

**Ri: S*hic*arcas*hic*m is m*hic*y depar*hic*tment!**

**Ed: Yeah, yeah. All you folks out there, get your asses to that review button posted below! -looks at note in hand- Oh, this is from the Muse...**

**_My lovelies,_**

**_By now, Russia-chan's probably chased me to the end of the world and beyond. So I'll say what I never got to say before. All of my other stories besides this are going on total reboot. COMPLETE AND TOTAL. So try not to send reviews. I'll feel the love somehow :)_**

**_Besides that, I KNOW WHAT YOU EDWIN FREAKS ARE THINKING! THIS IS _****MY FANFICTION_. DON'T START SENDING ME FLAMES ABOUT ME SKIPPING THAT PART! I'M AWARE OF IT. -sigh- Well, I hear Russia-chan coming up the stairs to the attic. Now's the time to stick this to Ed's shirt when he isn't looking._**

**_So long!_**

**_Muse_**

**Ed: ...God help her.**

**Ri: Ag*hic*greed.**


	18. Chapter XVII: Door to Darkness

**Well, I'm no longer fleeing for my life! WHOO! In case I don't post again in such a short amount of time, happy turkey day! I'm sure my lovelies out there got my letter so thankfully read by Ed, but if you didn't, I'm here to say that all of my stories except for this one will be completely and totally revamped. If anyone has some ideas, feel free to drop them in a review, or a pretty PM. I enjoy PMs, they're quite-**

**Gee-Gee: *slap upside the head* You're rambling, Doc. **

**Muse: OW! You still hit more than you speak...**

**Gee-Gee: And you love me for it.**

**Muse: Right, right... For those of you who don't know, this is my dearest companion, Gee-Gee! She's my little project monkey and creator of Alexander Daniels, companion to my Twelfth Doctor! But away from my unhealthy obsession with Doctor Who and Torchwood. Time for you're favorite characters!**

**...**

**_Your favorite characters!_**

**Gee-Gee: Are they doing each other in the closet?**

**Muse: Dunno...they _have _been missing for a while. I'm sure Danielle'll have a field day with this...**

**Danielle: You know it!**

**Muse: ...OUT OF MY MONOLOGUE! *mushroom sigh* Anyway, since Ri is off with Ed doing questionable things that Danielle likes to do with Death the Kid and Russia-chan likes to do with Kyoya-sempai and Sebas-chan, I guess it's up to me to do my own monologue!**

**Gee-Gee: For once...**

**Muse: Meeeeeh...**** I really hope I didn't have to say this, but I am no cow-lady, therefore I am not Arakawa-sensei. All I own is $.02, some lint, and, of course, Ericka**

**Gee-Gee: Who's off doing questionable things with Ed.**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Doorway to Darkness  
**

I have absolutely no clue what transpired after Ed left me kneeling there. The MP that he had left in charge of me (not that I needed any leaving in charge of) set me down on the main street, where I just sat on the curb like some sort of trauma victim, my grip still vicelike on Ed's coat wrapped around my shoulders. I hated feeling like this, hiccupping like a child. But as much as I wanted to associate what I felt back there to what I _really _wanted…

I found that Ed was right.

He was right. I can't kill. Hurt, yes. Maim, definitely. Not kill. Never kill. The vegetarian in me balked at the bloodlust I'd felt in the alley (not that I got far, thanks to Ed's timely interruption), and burrowed deep into my subconscious, pulling up Ed's comment to me.

"_You gave me a reason to stand again. Ericka Celtix…the girl who made no sense. No matter how many times you threaten it. No matter how much you want to…your hands aren't meant for killing people, Ri. They're meant for _saving_…"_

Did he really mean that?

"Ericka," Hawkeye called, snapping me out of my slump with relative success. "We're almost there."

I found it extremely hard to focus on her as I held my hand against Lan Fan's bloodied arm…or where her arm _used _to be. Rani was perched besides me, a hand on Lan Fan's forehead. Ling was busy holding onto Gluttony, although I could see him shooting Lan Fan worried looks every so often. He really did care for her. I couldn't help but smile gently as that tug came, uncomfortable and unexpected, and, without putting up a fight, I gladly lost consciousness.

…

Lan Fan's screams were the first thing that greeted me as I awoke. I was on a cot of folded blankets. The blood was washed from my hair, and I was bandaged nicely. Judging by the numbness in my left hand, someone had casted it, however crudely.

"I'm sorry," Ling apologized from somewhere above me. "Don't get the wrong idea. We're the ones who offered to help. We only worked with you guys because we had a common interest." There was movement, and, beneath my lashes, I could see that Ling had drawn his leg up to his chest. "I'm seeking something as great as immortality. I was prepared for the worst when I left my country. But no, I wasn't prepared enough. Lan Fan was more prepared than I was."

"Lan Fan was prepared to protect you with her life, Ling," I muttered, beginning to prop myself up on my elbow, "Call it female intuition."

"Ri!" Ed snapped, already moving to push me back down.

"Ed, my arm's just broken; I'm not on my death bed." Shoving his hand away, I was surprised to see Al hand me clean clothes.

"Winry left these for you," he said, backing me into a corner so I could change without that pervert peeking. "She said 'Make sure she wears them. She's going to be fifteen, and she shouldn't be walking around dressed like a guy.'"

Oh right…fifteen so soon… "Well, she shouldn't judge me by what I wear and don't wear…" I grumbled as I stepped out of my ruined clothes, pulling (very begrudgingly) on a blue long shirt, unripped, untattered black jeans, and a black button down shirt which I left unbuttoned. The only thing I found comfortable with was my boots, scuffed and dirty with several years worth of wear and tear.

"Ri," Ed called, "Lan Fan's awake."

"'Kay," I replied, patting Al's armor thankfully as I edged passed him, into the room that I could tell had been barred to all of us for however long I'd been out.

The first word's Lan Fan said as soon as her eyes opened were so simple. She didn't stare at Ling, or Rani. She focused solely on me and Ed. More specifically, our automail. "You're trap wasn't half bad," she remarked wryly to Ed, "but now I can't use it anymore…I need a replacement arm."

"Sure!" Ed grinned, "We'll introduce you to an awesome mechanic."

She smiled, and it was only then that I noticed that Ling wasn't in the room. Turning around, I followed Ed and Al from the room, under Dr. Knox's firm statement that Lan Fan needed rest. Walking through the nearly deserted home, I finally stopped besides Ed and Al, shocked to see Gluttony bound by a thick metal cable.

"What the hell is that?" Ed asked.

"He's a homunculus," Ling explained, "by the name of Gluttony."

"Ho—" Dr. Knox began.

"Apparently he has some sort of connection with the upper echelon's of the military," Mustang cut across him.

"A portion?" Ling asked incredulously. "You have no idea! King Bradley…There's a possibility that he's a homunculus as well."

No _way…_

"He had the Orouboros tattoo on his eye underneath his eye patch. He and Gluttony both came after us."

"No way!" Ed gasped.

"The top man of the country's a homunculus?" Al breathed, in shock.

"But…" Ling began again, "Bradley didn't give off a sense of not being human like Gluttony did. He feels the same as an ordinary human…" His eyes fixed on me, and I got a creepy feeling that he was analyzing me somehow.

"What about Selim Bradley?" I asked, just to break the tension. "He's the Fuhrer President's son. I remember from the books we used to read that homunculi can't reproduce."

"No," Knox spoke up finally. "Selim Bradley was adopted. He doesn't carry any blood from the Fuhrer President."

"A monster or a human…" Mustang said, a slim grin on his face, "Whichever he may be, he's just made it easier for me to drag him off his throne. But we'll get information out of this guy first. And for good measure, we'll take his Philosopher's Stone, too. I may be able to use it to heal my subordinate."

"Hey!" Ling snapped, grabbing Mustang by his collar. "Lan Fan lost her arm for that! We're taking it back to Xing!"

"Hold the phone, buddy," I snapped, "we've been researching the Stone for years, and now when it's just ten feet away from us, you think me and my brother's are just gonna stand here and let your squinty-eyed face ogle at us while you parade it back to Xing?"

"That's right," Mustang agreed, "Ling, you're an illegal immigrant." By now, we were all arguing, pushing, shoving, grabbing, pulling at every inch of clothing and hair possible. Ling earned a very hard kick from me once his hand slid a little _too _close to my ass for comfort.

"That's it, I've had enough," Knox muttered, "I'm going home, Mustang."

"Mustang…?" Gluttony growled from the room. "Colonel Roy Mustang…who killed Lust?" He began straining at his bonds, growing larger, despite the thick metal cable holding him in place. "Roy Mustang!" he roared, tottering to his feet. A rip began to open on his stomach, folding outwards like a grotesque mouth, teeth lining the rip. Inside…inside was that evil muddy eye that I knew so well.

Red light was the last thing I saw.

I was extremely dazed as my vision came back into focus. Ed was leaning over me like some sort of shield. "Wha…what the hell was that?" I squeaked out, staring at Gluttony as he snarled and spat, hand braced on the side of the house.

"There's no other choice," Mustang said with a growl, pulling on his ignition glove. "I'll have to kill him."

"W-wait!" Al exclaimed, a tiny panda clinging to his shoulder. "We just managed to capture a homunculus!"

"Staying alive is more important. Also, he knows our name and appearances. There's no reason to let him go alive!" He snapped, flames leaping from his fingertips to engulf Gluttony. I breathed a sigh of relief…

Until the flames were swallowed by that thing inside Gluttony. "He swallowed…the flames," I said slowly.

From that thing in his stomach, a burst of red energy shot out, the four of us darting into the woods. "You really are useless, aren't you!" Ed snapped.

"Then why don't you do something about it?" Mustang shot right back.

"Fine!" I snapped, reaching out a leg to trip him.

"What the hell are you doing, Whitewood?"

"It's only after you! Stop following us!"

"Run to the bushes!" Mustang snapped, "Spread out!"

I yelped as Ed grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, guiding me in the direction he was going. There were gunshots from behind us, and Ed only dragged me backwards, towards the gunshots origins. Mustang was kneeling on the ground, clutching his side. Hawkeye was kneeling over him.

"Lieutenant!" I cried, hastily removing my arm from its sling. "Take off his overcoat and gloves."

"What—" Hawkeye asked.

The crashing behind me alerted me to the severity of the situation. "Do it now!"

Hawkeye began removing Mustang's coat and gloves with a tenderness I didn't think possible. As she did so, I moved him out of the way, hissing as I clapped my hands, feeling meticulously reset bone shift out of place. Touching them to the ground, I nodded in satisfaction as a convincible dummy of Mustang grew in its place. Draping the coat and gloves in exactly the same position, we half limped, half ran back to the ruins of the hideout. Doctor Knox was waiting in a car, Ling, Lan Fan, and Rani already squeezed in.

Behind us, there was a terrible howl. "Sounds like he fell for the dummy," I panted, pain lacing up and down my arm like fire.

"It doesn't sound like he's too happy about it," Ed remarked, worry creasing his face as he stared at me.

"H-hurry up and go home," I stammered, feeling shaky on my feet as I eased Mustang into the car with Hawkeye's help. "Mr. Useless," I couldn't help but add with a tight smile.

"Are you telling em to shamelessly run away in this situation?" Mustang snapped, nearly as pale as I'm sure I was.

"YOU'LL JUST GET IN THE WAY!" Ed roared.

"Just leave!" Al snapped.

"Colonel, you're really not helping at all," Hawkeye mediated.

And thus the Colonel slumped into his depressive slump. "Seriously, you stupid Colonel," I growled. "Just do your own job. The fact that the highest ranking person in the country is a homunculus isn't something you can brush off easily."

"The highest ranked person…" Hawkeye muttered. "You don't mean the Fuhrer President, do you?"

"We can talk about this later!" Knox barked. "Hop in!"

The four of us turned to each other, nodding, something unspoken passing between us. Ed turned back to address the Doctor. "Looks like there aren't enough empty seats. Go on without us."

"You idiot!"

"We can't just abandon kids on the battlefield!" Hawkeye snapped.

"Your opponent is the upper echelon of the military, right?" Ling said with a small grin.

"We have to beat some information out of this Gluttony guy," I remarked with a wide smile.

"And what use are you with a broken arm?" Mustang asked.

"More use than you, you useless bastard."

"We're going to stay here and fight," Al said. "It doesn't matter that we're kids."

"We're the ones who came up with this plan, anyway," Ed finished. "Thanks for lending us a hand up until now."

"Edward," Hawkeye said, handing over her sidearm grip first. "Take this with you. You know how to use it, right?"

"That's something used for killing people," I said quietly, gripping Ed's hand in mine.

"It's something used for protecting yourselves."

A weird look came over Ed's face, and, for some reason, I think he was thinking back to what he said to me back then in the alley. He took it. "I'll be borrowing this."

Explosions drew our attention back to the woods. "Please take care of Lan Fan," Ling said, bending down to address Hawkeye and Rani.

"Young Lord!" Rani protested. "You can't do this!"

"Young Lord…" Lan Fan moaned as we ran off, back the way we came.

"ROY MUSTAAAAAANG!" Gluttony was shrieking, "WHERE IS ROY MUSTANG! HOW DARE YOU KILL LUST? I WON'T FORGIVE YOU!"

"I said we'd fight him…" Ed muttered, "but he seems kinda scary."

"He's like a whole new person now," Ling remarked.

"A whole new, scarier person," I added.

"How are we supposed to capture him?" A sound from behind us drew our attention to the brush. There was some sort of weird thing that _looked _like a dog standing a few feet away.

"A dog?"

"Stop, Gluttony," it rasped. At once, Gluttony fell still.

"I-it talked?" Ed gasped.

"Hey, it's been a while," it said, it's attention on us now. Leaping from its perch, it began to transform in a miasmic red light. With a grin, the man with the palm-tree like hair (_Ed, for once your drawing skills are spot on_) stood on two legs, hands pressed to his hips. "Fullmetal runt. Whitewood chibi."

"_Who're you calling a flea-sized runt!_" Ed howled, charging for Envy.

"_Who're you calling so flat she looks like a boy?_" I shrieked, uncaring that my arm stung as I punched out at him at the same time as Ed aimed a flying kick. Unfortunately, both missed. My fist connected with the tree, sending unpleasant tingles up my arm.

"Calm down!" Envy mediated, hands waving placatingly. "I'm just here to pick up Gluttony! I don't have any intention of fighting the Fullmetal pipsqueak and—"

"SEVENTH TIME!" He roared, charging yet again. "Twice now, and five times at Lab Five! All in all, you've called me runt seven times! Don't tell me you forgot!"

"He holds a grudge waaaay to easy," I muttered softly as he continued to charge, alchemified fists flying.

"Giving me so much trouble…" Envy muttered, turning back to Gluttony, who was waddling over.

"I saw Mustang!" he roared. "The one who killed Lust! I'm going to swallow him! Swallow him whole!"

"You can't do that to the Colonel. Not to the Elric brothers either. _Especially _not to young Miss Celtix over there."

"No," Ling asked, grinning. "I think I asked this before but how many people do you have inside of you, homunculus?"

Envy's expression darkened as he leaned on Gluttony, "So you're the kid who crossed swords with Wrath."

"What do you mean by kid? I am the twelfth prince of the Xing dynasty! My name is—"

"You can swallow him, though."

And Ling took off running, Gluttony hot on his heels. "So it looks like we're untouchable," I grinned. Ed cracked his knuckles menacingly, clapping his hands, transmuting a quarterstaff for me, and erecting a wall between Envy and Ling, and us and Gluttony.

"Ling, we'll leave him to you!" Ed called from the opposite side, charging for Gluttony. From a distance, Ed clapped his hands once more, transmuting a well beneath Gluttony. It rose up around him, and, victorious, we watched as he dropped to the bottom. "Alright!"

"We got him!" I cheered. This was easier than I thought.

Gluttony leapt from the bottom of the well, his rib cage giving him the lift he needed. "That was close," he said with a tired sigh. "Geez…"

"Dammit you!" Ed snapped, kicking out at him.

"I'm not allowed to eat you guys…I wanna eat the guy with the thin eyes."

"Well, you're not eating him either!" I snapped, bringing my quarterstaff down on Gluttony's head. He grabbed me by my unbound hair, throwing me head over heels into the wall. I sobbed dryly, pain eclipsing everything. It only intensified when Ed and Al came careening into me, sending the three of us rocketing into the other side of the clearing.

"Hey now, don't go interfering—"I heard Ling say before he was interrupted by Envy, who fell close to where I was. I felt him grab me by my hair, tugging me atop him, using me like some sort of shield.

"Now, Gluttony!" he barked, his voice similar to that of Lan Fan's.

"RI!" Ed roared.

"What!" Ed wrapped his hand around Ling's neck, and took my hand in his, dragging us back. Envy, wearing the guise of Lan Fan, grabbed Ed's ankle.

"BROTHER!" Al screamed…

And then there was darkness.

…

I was laying on the ground, half on my side, propped up on some sort of stone. There was some sort of liquid surrounding me, unnaturally warm, like bathwater. My head was spinning from the pain in my arm, making me want to vomit. _Where am I…_ I thought, slowly opening my eyes.

I was in near total darkness. There were flames crackling nearby, and someone was sloshing around in the liquid around me. "_Ericka…_" whoever it was breathed, hands gently tangling in my hair. "C'mon…please wake up…"

I felt exhausted as I smiled. "Please add 'Taking a really bad fall with a broken arm to the list of things I'm never to do?'" I asked quietly.

"Only after I kill you for following me," Ed laughed, still softly stroking my hair. "You should've gone with Mustang and the others."

"And leave you to all the fun? Not a chance!" I slowly pushed myself into a sitting position. The liquid around us was bright red, reeking of iron… "Is this blood!" I gasped out. "W…where are we?" My head whipped around as Ed drew me into a hug. "Where's Al? Where is everybody? Where are we!"

"I don't know," he murmured reassuringly. "But you need to calm down. We need to find the idiot prince."

"Oh right…" I mumbled. "IDIOT PRINCE!"

"Who're you calling stupid?" I heard Ling call. Sure enough, in the distance, I could see him trudging towards us, holding a torch in hand.

"Ling!"

"Is that any way to speak to a prince?"

"It is if he's retarded," I muttered, pulling away from Ed to stand shakily. "But the good thing is is that you're saf—what the hell, Ed?"

Ed had grabbed me by my hair, stopping me in my tracks. Seriously, I was going to hit the next person who decided to pull my hair. "Wait a sec, Ri," he said, "You're not Envy disguised as Ling, are you?"

"Do you want me to recite you're room service menu from top to bottom?" he asked deadpanned.

"Alright, you're real."

Ed turned to look at me funny, and I crossed my arm, "Need I offer a sarcastic comment about the time you were four and w—"

"ALRIGHT YOU'RE REAL TOO!"

"And what about you, pea—" Ling began.

"DON'T CALL ME SMALL!"

"Think he's real enough?" I asked once my hearing had returned. "But in all seriousness, where are we?"

"If I recall, we were swallowed up by Gluttony," Ling said.

"Yeah," Ed agreed, "but there's no way his stomach can be so big."

"But look." The light from his torch passed over the remains of a building. "That's part of the abandoned home we were in. And this…" His torch passed to the overturned car.

"The lieutenant's car?"

"And I think it's safe to assume that the fire is from the Colonel," I added. "Turns out he isn't so useless after all!"

"This means that we're really in Gluttony's stomach," Ed muttered.

"Not a clue," Ling said, oblivious to the fact that Ed's attention had moved elsewhere. "But I can tell you we're not dead."

By now, Ed had darted past Ling, climbing the rock I'd originally been half-sprawled on. "It's Al's hand!" he exclaimed, holding up the cleanly severed leather gauntlet. "That's a relief…at least I know he's not here…"

"I bet Al is worried sick," I mumbled sadly, thinking of my favorite suit of armor.

"We have no idea where we are either." Ed sighed, lifting the glove above his head and waving it wildly. "Now is the perfect time for them to reawaken! My telepathic abilities!"

"If he's telepathic, then I'm an anthromorphic penguin," I remarked to Ling, who snorted at that.

"Elric telepathy! Here me brother!"

"Have fun with that," Ling muttered, beginning to trudge away, me following shortly behind.

At some point, Ed rejoined us, keeping close to my side. We were walking beneath a bunch of ruins, not as old as Xerxes, but pretty damn old. "There are a lot of ruins and corpses, but they're all from different time periods," I said finally, just to break the silence.

"Is there even an exit to this place?"

"I don't know," Ed said optimistically. "but if there isn't one, I'll make one!" Stopping, he passed his torch to Ling, clapped his hands, and transmuted a well from the ground beneath. "Alright, throw the torch in."

Nodding, Ling tossed Ed's torch into the well, and we bent over it, listening intently.

But several minutes passed, and no sound greeted us back that it had reached the bottom.

"…I don't think it hit the bottom yet," Ling whined.

"Then we'll look for a wall!" Ed cried, dragging me forward, now holding my torch. I have no clue how long we were walking, but I was exhausted. Trudging through blood on an empty stomach wasn't the best way to spend my afternoon, especially with a broken arm and a sore back. Ling was somewhere behind me, Ed leading the pack, exhaustion showing in every single limping step he took.

"Having to walk through all this blood really drains your stamina…doesn't it?" Ling muttered.

"Yeah…and no sign of an exit either…" Ed muttered.

"Can we…not talk…" I wheezed. "No…energy…to wa…waste…"

Silence passed between us, and I'm sure I would've sighed if I had the strength. "…I'm so hungry…" Ling muttered.

"Shut up…"

"If we get out, I'll let you eat as much as you want," Ed muttered. "Eat all you want, sleep all you want…" Behind me, I heard a gigantic splash. Spinning on my heel, I gaped at Ling, who was passed out on a blood-soaked log. "Ling?"

"I can't take it anymore…" he groaned.

"C'mon…giving in already?"

"Too…hungry…"

"You're going to collapse here too? You're pathetic! Get up! Walk!"

"Ed, give him a break," I snapped, moving to sit down beside him, a hand on the back of his neck as he wheezed. "We've been walking forever."

He made an intelligible noise in the back of his throat, before turning his back on us. "I'm leaving you, dammit!" he snapped.

"No you're not," I muttered to myself.

He walked a few steps, before turning around, "I'm really going to go ahead!"

"Not."

He walked a few more steps, before turning around once more, "I'm not joking, you know!"

"Yeah, you are."

He groaned, dashing back to where we were, lifting Ling up and over his shoulder. "I thought you said you were going ahead…" Ling muttered.

"He lied," I mumbled tiredly.

"As much as I think you're beautiful…I'm not going to die here with him."

"Don't make me drop you!" Ed snapped.

"But you've got good people waiting for you, don't you?" His eyes shifted to me, and I got that feeling once more that he was staring right through me.

"Hey, if you've got the strength to walk, then—"

I would like the time to tell Murphy to kindly _stop eating my fucking words. _Not ten steps after picking up Ling, Ed decided to trip on a rock, bowling me onto the ground, beneath Ed and Ling.

"_WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS FUCKING HAPPEN TO ME?_"

I must've passed out at some point, because the next thing I know, I'm laying on my back between Ed and Ling. Someone had stretched out my left hand so that it was actually relatively comfortable. "I can't walk anymore…" I whimpered.

"If only we had something to eat…" Ling groaned.

"…You know something, Ling?" Ed began, sitting up. He yanked off his left boot, draining it so that the blood drained from it, and held it up, grinning, "Leather goods are edible."

And before I knew it, that moron was stewing his own boot. "You're an idiot," I said for the millionth time. This was a vegetarian's worst nightmare. I'm gonna starve. I'm _not _eating leather. Because leather comes from cows. And cows are that evil four letter word. But even so, that didn't stop me from taking an experimental nibble.

"You don't have athlete's foot, do you?" Ling asked.

"Do I look like I do, dumbass?" he snapped, pointing at his automail foot.

Finally, after all of Ed's boot was devoured, we sprawled back down on the ground, "What a meal," Ling remarked, "I'm really sorry about this."

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking over at him.

"If you two didn't try to save me back then…"

"Forget it," Ed muttered. "This is nothing compared to when we were training as kids." He laughed a little. "You always manage to get yourself hurt on something big, don't you?"

"I don't see any foxes around here," I mumbled. "But it's kinda annoying that we don't know where we are."

"But we can search now that we've eaten our fill." Ed sat forward, checking my splint with careful hands.

"An optimist, are you?" Ling said with a grin.

"I'm just relentless about staying alive."

"Trust me," I laughed as he poked and prodded at the cast. "_Nothing _can bring this guy do—_HOLY SHIT!_ WATCH WHERE YOU'RE POKING, YOU BASTARD!"

"If you're cursing, you're good," he said, "but don't forget, if we give up now, Al'll kick our asses."

"Right on there," I said, wiggling my fingers with a painful groan.

Ling grinned, before his face sobered, standing abruptly.

"What's wrong?" Ed asked.

"Something's coming." He fell into a ready position as, sure enough, I spotted Envy in the distance.

"Oh, it's only you guys," he said dismissively.

"Just as I thought," Ling snapped.

"You've got balls showing your face here!" I growled, balling up my right fist threateningly.

"Please tell us where the exit is!" Ed wailed.

"WHAT THE HELL?"

"That's pathetic, Edward Elric!"

"Shut up! Humans will do anything to live!"

Growling, I stepped forward, grabbing him by his shirt. I wanted to scream the truth so bad. I wanted to scream those three words as loud as I could. I was shaking with the force of it, until I finally released him. "You're despicable!" I snapped instead.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"At least I'm not flat-chested!"

"AT LEAST I DRINK MILK!"

"_I EAT MEAT!_"

"_**I—**_"

"There is no exit," Envy said.

"Huh?" Our attention turned on him.

"You just _had _to go and do that." He scrubbed his face with his hand. "Even I got dragged in because of you."

"Where are we?" Ling asked. "Are we really inside Gluttony's stomach?"

"We're inside Gluttony's stomach, but at the same time, we're not."

"How can we all be in two places at once?" I asked, thinking logically for once.

"Simple, Whitewood pi—I mean, Whitewood Alchemist. Surely you'd have figured out where we are by now. It's not all that hard."

"When we were taken by Gluttony…" I began, "I had a strange feeling that I'd felt that before."

"You should've," Envy said softly, "especially since you've passed through it and lived twice before now."

No way… "You don't mean…"

"The Gate of Truth!" Ed gasped. "But this wasn't how it was. It was all white, and then there was a the Gate."

"Oh, so that's what it really looks like," Envy said.

"Real?"

"Gluttony is the result of Father's unsuccessful attempt at recreating the Gate of Truth," he explained.

"W…what did you say?" I asked. Was this Father guy so powerful that he could artificially manufacture a Gate?

"Gluttony is a poorly made Gate of Truth that not even Father could get right. So I guess it's safe to say that this is the crevasse between reality and the Truth."

"The crevasse?" Ed and I whimpered. I knew what a crevasse was…a place where hardly anyone escaped from.

"There is no exit," he said heartlessly, "nor is there a way to get out of here. All we can do is wait until we die. All we can do…is wait to die."

N…no. No way. We can't do this. We can't just wait here to die here. What about Al? WHAT ABOUT Al? "No way in _hell _I'll let that happen!" Ed barked. "Don't screw around with me!"

"So you're saying there's no exit?" Ling asked incredulously. "We're going to die here?"

"We can't die here," I whimpered. "What will happen to Al?"

"I promised him," Ed said quietly. "I promised him we'd get our bodies back…" He snarled at Envy. "Dammit…who the hell is this Father guy that tried to recreate the Gate? Fuhrer President King Bradley?"

"Bradley?" Envy laughed. "Not even close. He's just a homunculus."

"I knew it…" Ling muttered.

"Research Lab Five…" Ed muttered, "Using people's lives. Philosopher's Stone's. Homunculus. If the Fuhrer President is a Homunculus, then that means that ut was you guys who started the Ishval conflict…"

"Ishval?" Envy cackled. "That was the most amusing task I'd ever been given! Do you even know what stared that war in the first place?"

"If I recall, it was because an army officer accidentally shot and killed an Ishvalan child."

"That's right. I'm the one who shot the dead kid."

My eyes widened in pure horror. I could just imagine an innocent little girl, no older than eight or nine, clinging to a stuffed bear, staring up at an army officer with those evil purple eyes.

I bet she didn't even register the gunshot.

Not until she was with Ishvala, or whoever the Ishvalan people believed they went to when they died.

"So it was you…" Ed muttered, bringing me back to the present as he advanced on Envy, murder in his eyes. "The one who killed the innocent child. The one who wrecked our hometown…who drove the Ishvalans to Annelise Celtix…the one who created Scar, the vengeful murderer…The root cause…of what killed Winry's parents…and made my baby sister an orphan…you _bastard!_" The last part came out as a roar as he closed the last few feet, slamming his right fist into his jaw. The red alchemic light I'd come to know as a reaction of the Philosopher's Stone. Envy didn't even move.

"He didn't move an inch…" Ed muttered.

"You brats wanna fight," he snarled.

"Ed!" I cried, pulling him back. Alchemic light was enveloping Envy, and the expression on his face was positively homicidal.

"We're all gonna die here anyway." He was mutating, growing in size as we continued to back further and further up. "Let me show something cool to you before you die."

"Did you take a look at his feet when we were fighting in the woods?" Ling asked calmly as he edged back.

"No," Ed said.

"Little too busy avoiding getting my ass handed to me," I piped in.

"The ground was sunken in wherever he stood or landed," he said, "He may not look like it, but he's actually quite heavy. His true form must be…"

If Ling was going to say huge, I was going to punch him. Because huge was an understatement. It was the biggest understatement of the century. If Envy was scary looking before, he was positively terrifying now. He now resembled a gigantic green monster, with four arms, four legs, a tail, a mane of long black hair, elongated face, and what looked like human faces growing from its flanks and back. Damn, was I going to need a lot of therapy after this…

Waves of blood washed over us, tugging me under. Ed and Ling went flying off into the distance, and I managed to finally gain my ground on an overturned slab of rock. "Damn…" I hissed. I was in no shape to fight that…that _thing. _But even so, I found myself catching the transmuted iron quarterstaff from Ed in my good hand.

"You have bad taste," Ling joked at the skull on the hilt of his transmuted sword.

"What?" Ed defended with a grin, transmuting his arm into it's usual blade. "I think it looks cool."

"What you _think _is cool and what actually _is _cool is two completely different things," I teased, wincing as I held my hand to my side. There were definitely some broken ribs there.

"Can you do it?" Ling asked.

"Dunno…" I said, staring up at the humans hanging from Envy's green skin. How the hell was this thing a homunculus? It wasn't human, or artificially _humanoid _in any way. "I'm pretty beat to shit. Doesn't mean I'm not going down fighting."

"That earlier attack broke a couple of my ribs," Ling said with a wry grin.

"Same here," Ed growled, "but that doesn't mean I'm leaving before I give him a proper beat down!"

And with that, we charged like reckless fools to the beast.

* * *

**Heated chapter, yes I know! And for those of you who I promised my soul to...eh, too late. Russia-chan made me sign a contract with her that she owns my soul because she's now my editor for my multitudes of novels. **

**Gee-Gee: ...*pat on the back* I knew you well.**

**Muse: I haven't felt this terrified since she let me borrow her WHAP homework...**

**Gee-Gee: You're dead, just so you know...Does this mean I get the TARDIS?**

**Muse: *Throws hands protectively over the blue police box* NO! **

**Gee-Gee: Meeeeeeh...**

**Muse: *glare* Review or I'll sic Ri on you whenever she decides to show up.  
**


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